The Scarlet Secretary
by KnightNGale020
Summary: Valentine W. Karmen joins the Straw Hats when her friend Usopp decides to leave the island. She becomes their secretary but may have an ulterior motive for joining.
1. Chapter 1: Karmen Joins the Straw Hats

*All characters in this story are fictional, including the OC. Any relation to real people or places are purely coincidental. I own nothing. All rights and credit go to the original author, Oda Eiichiro. This is a fan production, written purely for fun.

Author's Note: This story started as a sequence of several dreams I had while reading the One Piece series. It adds a character to the main story under the pretense that she's always been there, but she's managed to avoid public recognition. This story starts just after Captain Kuro attacks Syrup Village and Usopp is recruited into the Straw Hat Pirates. There may be some inconsistencies with names due to the fact that I read the Viz Media manga line.

The Scarlet Secretary

 _Ship Log 1: The Maiden Voyage of the Caravel Merry Go_

 _My name is Valentine W. Karmen. I am the new secretary aboard the Merry Go, Kaya's gift to the Straw Hat Pirates, as I'm sure they're soon to be called. The captain is Monkey D. Luffy, the first mate is the famous pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro (apparently he's a pirate now?), and the navigator is Nami. She has not given me a last name. Joining the crew today is Usopp, a story telling sniper and a dear friend, and me, the girl who can only clean and keep a decent record of the going-ons of the crew._

 _I can understand Usopp being allowed to join, but I'm still baffled that I was allowed to come at all. I have been a resident of Syrup Village for about a year and a half. I lived with a sweet old woman named Tantonia. I made a living by cleaning houses for people who were very busy in farms and shops. I'm sure they'll get by without me, but I did enjoy making their lives just a little bit easier for them while they worked so hard for the village. I'm sure going to miss them. There is no reason a girl like me should be anywhere near a pirate ship, but here I am._

 _Anyway, I was cleaning houses when the pirate attack happened. Like the rest of the village, I didn't even know anything until I went to visit Kaya and found her house in shambles. I had helped her butler keep the house for months and never suspected he could be capable of such brutality and cunning. I mean seriously. Working for three years as a butler in order to gain someone's trust and steal their fortune? That's downright nasty. I'm sure, being on a pirate ship, we can expect more of his kind._

 _Kaya told me that Usopp was leaving to become a pirate like his father. She said the villagers didn't know, but she knew I'm almost as close to Usopp as she is. If I wasn't cleaning houses all day I probably would have joined his pirate crew for fun. At first I thought it was one of his stories. He was always helping me come up with stories to aid my game with my father. Luffy and his gang, I knew, were the kind of people who could inspire our dear Usopp into following his dreams. (I met them briefly when getting my lunch from the diner). I'm glad he took the chance. That we both did._

 _As soon as Kaya told me I packed a small bag and ran after him. It took me a little while to find the ship, so he was already climbing aboard the Merry Go when I got there. I didn't have a plan. I just ran to the shore, looked into Luffy's eyes, and yelled, "My name is Valentine W. Karmen. Please take me with you. I'm no good in a fight, but I can clean and keep your logs." Usopp was surprised to see me, and even more surprised that I wanted to join a pirate crew. Kaya just grinned._

 _Usopp spent five minutes babbling about my character and work ethic. Any more and he would have made me blush. Nami said that they could use someone to keep track of everything and Zoro had no argument. Luffy gave that huge smile of his and said "Welcome to the crew." And that was it. We drank some beer to initiate us as new members. Well, Luffy, Usopp, and I drank one mug. Nami drank five or six and Zoro finished the barrel off. How is that guy still standing?_

 _So here I am, sitting in the dining hall recording our first sea bering log. I haven't asked where we're going. I just hope it's somewhere grand._

 _Valentine's Personal Log: So it Begins_

 _I find myself surprised by the evils that man can create. I thought my surprise over the cruelty of the world was long since left behind._

 _I had found something peaceful on that island. I had let myself grow complacent. The pirate attack was a heavy reminder. If it had been someone other than pirates I wouldn't have known to look for them. I let my guard down and now I see just how far I've let myself slip. I need to be more observant._

 _It's odd to find kind pirates on the seas. Luffy may be easily distracted, but he has big dreams. He wants to be the king of the pirates some day! He's an airhead, for sure, but there's a fire in his eyes and a strength to his heart that no one can deny. This crew. Maybe I can allow myself to hope, just a little, once more._

 _I had already been thinking it was time to move again. I stayed far too long in that beautiful, wonderful village. Who thought an opportunity like this would place itself in my lap? What better way to stay on the move than on a pirate ship? Running into the navy might be problematic, but surely I can talk my way out of most of it or let the crew handle it._

 _It seems Zoro and I are the same age, 19. Captain Luffy and Usopp are 17, and Nami is 18. I find it strange that I'm older than the captain. He is immature at times, but when it counts, he seems to have one of the clearest senses of justice I have ever seen and the strength to carry it out. Nami is delightful, but she gets distracted by money and often has a distant look in her eye. Her heart lies somewhere else, I think. Sometimes I look at her and wonder if I have the same look in my eye when I stare out at the ocean. I must have had it on the island every time someone wandered into the village or when I stopped to read the newspaper. I don't think that feeling ever went away._

 _Staying in one place for too long makes me nervous. And if I were to let my story teller leave on some grand adventure, who would be left to help me to embellish the letters to my father? Maybe I can keep something this time. Luffy and Zoro are strong. Can I rely on others stronger than myself, even if they know nothing about me?_

 _After all that has happened I can't believe I'm even entertaining the thought. If I can continue growing a friendship that I made in this year and a half it could be a sign that I don't have to face the dark times alone. I don't want to involve anyone in my troubles, but the thought of being on my own again is almost too painful to bear. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I can allow myself this one selfish act, at least for a while._

Karmen shuts two logbooks, making sure one is securely tucked away in her bag before allowing herself to smile out at the commotion on deck. Luffy has his arm around Usopp's neck while he tells embellished stories of his bravery and accuracy in battle. Kaya sure is going to miss that guy, she thinks to herself.

Zoro is yelling about something, but she can tell by his face that he's really enjoying the atmosphere. Nami's laugh is pealing over the commotion in melodic tones that make Karmen glad she's not the only woman on board. She smiles. Stoppering the ink, she goes out to join them. Just maybe.


	2. Chapter 2: Learning the Ropes

_Ship Log 2: Seafaring_

 _Luffy spent all day running around the ship, making sure he knew every detail. I think he freaked out about the same features twice in some areas. He especially likes the ram's head on the bowsprit (Nami tells me this is what the point of the bow is called). He spent all afternoon sitting cross-legged on the ram's head and yelling from it. I'm glad he's the kind of kid who falls asleep quickly. It would be hard to sleep around a whole night of his enthusiasm._

 _I've turned the dining room/meeting room into a makeshift study. There are a few bare shelves where I can store the logs. Kaya even threw in a few blank volumes for us to use. I hope to be able to fill every one of them._

 _Nami's been teaching Usopp and me about knots and sails. We've been doing most of the pulling and lifting since her shoulder got hurt fighting the hypnotist. (I think she might be milking some of it, since she was able to lift the treasure into the ship all by herself, but I don't mind. I'm just happy to be here)._

 _This really is a beautiful ship. I don't know how Kaya acquired her so quickly, but she's perfect. I'm going to need a lot more of Nami's training to even adequately know how to tie a sail, but I have time. Zoro's been sleeping off the battle and the last mugs of beer he had. The weird thing is I don't think it was the beer that made him pass out._

 _With what Nami and Luffy told me about the last two towns they visited you would think that guy gets a scar everywhere he goes and then sleeps for a few days. I suppose scars are signs of progress. You can't become the world's greatest swordsman if you're afraid of getting a little bloody. I was told that each of his fresh wounds were made because he was protecting somebody. I'm surprised Usopp hasn't found a sunny spot on the deck and joined him in his nap. He was pretty beat up too. I hope I can be as brave as these guys someday._

 _Luffy keeps going on about how we need a musician now. Nami keeps emphasizing that none of us are any good at cooking and that we don't have a doctor yet. Nami and I know a few basics, I can sew a straight seam, but I still burn half of what I put over a fire. The last thing I saw Usopp make was completely inedible. I think I saw it crawling off the plate. We usually just ate at the diner. Usopp made ends meet by doing small repair jobs around town and I made plenty of money with my job, especially from Kaya. That woman was so generous. To be honest, I would spend more money if I had continued to prepare food for myself. I really can't cook._

 _Nami and I have a small room at the back of the ship and the men have a larger room that takes up most of the lower deck. The second level is the store room and cannon decks. The kitchen and dining room are level with the deck. There are two sails, the fore sail, for movement, and the mainsail, for steering (Also depicted by Nami). There are also oars beneath deck for windless days. (I really need to brush up on my ship terminology). We have plenty of time for that as well._

 _Valentine's Personal Log 2: Restless_

 _The smallest ship I've ever been on before now was a Barque. As a Caravel, this ship is so small that I can hardly walk around without running into someone. With four other people, if they all spread out it's hard to be alone. I've taken to sitting in the crow's nest for solitude, which can get annoying after a long day of cleaning when your arms are tired. Nobody questions it though. They think I'm trying to be useful, which I am. Deep down I think I just want to see the first signs of danger so nothing finds me complacently napping._

 _I scared myself today. Nami taught us to make slip knots. I almost found myself tying the only knot I knew before today: a noose. I quickly undid my work, but my hands were already shaking. I have never in my life thought of using one on myself, but they frighten me all the same. How many times did I watch him string people up by their hands and feet before finally putting the rope around their necks? I wanted to throw the rope into the ocean, but it was attached to the sail. I tied the knot quickly and moved to tighten knots on the mast instead. I'm glad I practiced keeping a calm face at the village. Some of these people have the senses of an animal. It would be only a matter of time before they suspected something if I let my emotions show._

 _Sometimes I want to pull these memories out of my head and burn them like paper. When they consume me I can't find a quiet place on this ship. During the day I make excuses and sit in the storage room or the bathroom until I feel better. I find some menial chore that needs doing and scrub something that's already spotless until it gleams. I'm surprised that so little dust is around to settle on the ocean. Luffy makes a lot of dirty dishes though. I'm grateful to his appetite for giving me something to do._

 _At night, when I can't sleep, I go out onto the deck. There's usually only one person up there until the sun comes up. Nami's started noticing that I keep getting up at night and that I'm tired in the mornings. I keep using the excuse that I'm not used to being off land and feel a little sick, which is true, but I wonder how much of the cramps in my stomach come from the swaying of the ship. I suppose we'll find out by the end of the week. I'm sure to have my sea legs by then._

 _Luffy and Zoro can sleep through anything. They're way too relaxed for my comforts. Sometimes I find Usopp looking back in the direction that we've come. I'm sure he's thinking of Kaya. He always turns around, though, and faces where we haven't been yet with a big smile on his face. I've known him long enough to know that he's excited for the adventures we're sure to have. Nami seemed a little distant at first, but I think she's really starting to feel at home with the crew. The whole lot of them have a familial quality that I can't quite put my finger on. I want to relax, but then that stupid mail bird brings a newspaper or I need to send another letter home. If something doesn't change soon I'll go crazy._

 _There has been one small comfort, though. There was a full moon tonight. The ocean was as still as glass and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I stood on the bow looked out at the scene. When the night's lit up like this I find any despair and anxiety lifting from me. Sights like this remind me of the beauty in the world that can outshine the darkness, or some other line that I read in a poem once. It was like the ship was sailing on the sky and every star was awake to join in. For the first time in nearly two years, I wanted to waltz across the deck and hear the kind of music that attracted dolphins to ships and calm Neptunians._

 _Zoro was keeping watch. He was sitting in the shadow of the mast with his swords propped up next to him. Sometimes I think he goes to the bathroom with those things. I didn't notice him until I had made a few spins. I was a little embarrassed but I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep for another few hours, so I stayed on deck. I didn't feel uncomfortable under his gaze, which surprised me. There was only mild curiosity in his eyes and the ghost of a smile on his lips at catching me being so childish. He did not ask any questions and I offered no answers. We just looked at each other for a few seconds and I turned back to the ocean._

 _I wonder if he's cultured enough to know the kind of dance I had begun. He doesn't seem like the type who dances often, especially in a ballroom. Even if he did, he probably just thinks that I like to dance. What girl doesn't, right? Next time I'll make sure to be less graceful about it. I probably shouldn't dance in front of Nami. That woman is too perceptive for her own good sometimes._

 _The whole crew is used to my insomnia by now. They don't bat an eye when I randomly show up on deck. I've caught Nami getting up a few times to check the treasure stash though. Out on deck I can quiet my mind and let the moon lull me into some sense of security._

 _After a while I went into the kitchen and brewed some tea. I took Zoro a cup, since it's hard to boil enough water for just one. He took a sip, nodded appreciatively, and said, "If you want to dance, then dance. It's no different than me lifting weights or Luffy stretching."_

 _I smiled at this. "On a night like this, I think there's dancing enough." I watched the stars shimmer on the ocean for a few seconds more before going back inside and lighting a candle on the table to write. I always feel better after writing. Getting all my feelings out onto paper releases my anxiety. I just have to remember to hide this one in my bag before sleep finds me._


	3. Chapter 3: The Struggle with Treasures

_Ship Log 3: Treasure Island_

 _Today Usopp helped Luffy paint our Jolly Roger on black flags and the sails: A skull and crossbones with a toothy grin and a straw hat. It's very fitting of the crew and captain. Not long after Nami spotted Treasure Island and we stopped off on shore. I brewed everyone some tea in a thermos while we were setting our course for land and Usopp agreed to carry it in his bag. There were weird creatures and plants that were a cross between two species or more. Zoro fell asleep in the woods and we were attacked by someone that Luffy ended up chasing after. As a loyal crew, we ended up chasing after our impulsive captain, leaving Zoro to sleep. He found us later._

 _We found a little man named Gaimon stuck in a chest with a bush for hair. He claimed to be a Kami to protect the weird animals and a treasure he'd been unable to reach for 20 years after falling into the chest. Luffy offered to get it off the plateau where they were stuck and the treasure chests turned out to be empty. We offered to take him with us, but he wanted to protect the weird animals there. We all got back on the ship and set sail again. It was nice to be back on land for a few hours, even if we did have wooden spears shot at us._

 _Personal Log 3: Tea_

 _While we were talking to Gaimon in the woods, Usopp poured some tea into the cup of the thermos, sitting on his knees to drink it. It reminded me of the nights when we'd sit in his house trying to come up with stories for Kaya and my father. I can't imagine how many gallons of tea we drank together. Brewing tea is the one thing I can do in the kitchen that doesn't start a grand scale fire. I had to cook outside on the island so the fire was at least contained._

 _Anyway, Usopp's sitting there sipping his tea when Zoro stumbles out of the woods, yawning like a bear. He takes the cup out of Usopp's hands, sits on a boulder, and drinks it himself. I guess he really liked the cup I made for him the other night. Either that or he thought Usopp looked a little too comfortable. I can't help but take a little womanly pride and believe the former. That version, at least, makes me feel not entirely useless._

Hair Product

Frustrated groans can be heard throughout the ship, followed by the clatter of small objects and the occasional sound of something hitting the wall. Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp have approached the door to the women's bedroom cautiously, but none of them feel brave enough to open it. Usopp in particular flinches every time there is an impact on the other side. There are occasional comments from behind the door such as "Why isn't this working?" and "You were fine two hours ago!"

"Should we go in and check on her?" Luffy asks, none too softly. There is another yell and something crashes.

"Are you crazy? She'd kill us if we went in right now!" Usopp whispers loudly.

"Maybe I should go make some tea," Zoro muses.

"You're thinking of tea at a time like this?" Usopp yells.

"Not for me, you idiot!" he responds.

"What's going on?" All three men start when they hear Nami's voice behind them.

"Nami!" Usopp brightens significantly. "Karmen seems to be having… problems. We'll let you go and check things out." He smiles innocently and hopes Nami will lead the charge.

Something else crashes. "Useless!"

Nami stares at the door hesitantly. Taking a deep breath, she approaches and knocks. "Karmen? Are you ok?" Somewhere in that sentence the men back up five paces.

"Nami~!" comes a wailing sob from behind the door.

"What's going on in there?"

"Nothing works!"

"I'm coming in, ok?" There was a slight rustle of fabric as Nami opens the door slowly.

Karmen is sitting at the vanity with a towel draped over her head, which is laid flat on the table. A dark cloud seems to seep from her and the scattered bottles of cosmetics strewn across the room. "Nami, how do you get your hair to stay so pretty in all this wind? My hair's so curly that these winds make it frizz. None of the products I used back in Syrup Village work out here!"

"I've actually never had that problem," Nami laughs self-consciously. "My hair's naturally straight, so the wind doesn't bother me much."

Zoro pokes his head around the doorframe. "All this is about hair?" He's struck square in the vein in his forehead by a flying jar of gel. "I'll go make that tea."

Nami quickly shoos the other two away and goes back to the pile of depression in front of her. She lifts the towel off to find fuzzy curls in some areas and gooped down tuffs in others. She smiled gently. "Come on. Let's go wash all this out and then we can figure out something."

Karmen dons the towel again and they shuffle up a floor to the bathroom. Nami has her lean her head over the sink as she rinses out all the failed hair products that have been piled on. "Back on the island it wasn't that breezy. The cliffs blocked most of the wind from the ocean and I never really had reason to go down to the shore. I was fine leaving my hair down all day and it only took a little bit of mousse or oil to make my hair cooperate. When I'm cleaning I can just tuck it under a bandana or something but I can't do anything with it on this boat!"

Nami finishes her rinse and begins to dry Karmen's hair with a fresh towel. "I'm sure we can pick a hairstyle that suits you until we find a town that has something that will work. And it's not like there's too many people to impress on this ship."

"Easy for you to say. Usopp's curls stay perfect without him even trying! And what if we run into another ship? I don't want to have an afro when I meet complete strangers."

"That would be interesting," Nami laughs softly. Karmen just groans beneath the towel. Nami takes her back to the bedroom. "Let's try a ponytail first. Your bangs seem to do ok without much product, so let's leave them down for now. And if we twist this part here…. Pin this here… There! That looks nice. The pieces I left out aren't long enough to frizz too badly. What do you think?" Nami stands back and beams at her work.

Karmen examines her head in the mirror. Her dark bangs curl damply, framing the right side of her face. Her hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail that lets her hair retain its curl but leaves it restrained and out of the wind's control. The loose hair on the back of her head is twisted around the base and pinned so that curls cascade down to her neck. Karmen smiles happily at the mirror and lets a few tears well up in her eyes. "Nami, you're a miracle worker."

She receives a grin in return. "Come on. Zoro said he was making tea. You should throw things more often. It's nice having the guys do a little extra around the ship."


	4. Chapter 4: Mihawk and the Gas Mask

[Author's note: Some of the ship's logs are a little summary heavy but there are reasons for that: 1. They give timeline placement 2. They show Karmen doing her job as a secretary. 3. The details mentioned are important to Karmen's personal development.; As time goes on, there will be less summary and more personal experiences.]

 _Ship Log 4: Village Stop_

 _We stopped at a small island today. There was only one village on the whole thing. They make their living by fishing and diving, especially at a reef just north of here. We did a little shopping and headed back out to sea._

 _There was a storm that knocked a hole in the hull. Luffy tried to stop the seawater by drinking it and ended up flooding the cabin. Usopp's small repair skills came in handy._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 4: The Start_

 _We stopped at an island today. There was no decent hair product to be found. I did, however, find some great red fabric. I've been thinking about making that outfit for a while. It'll take some time to make, but it will give me something to do to keep my anxiety down while I sit with the rest of the crew._

 _I cut the pieces out earlier today. I should have the dress finished in a few days. Then all I'll need are the gloves, hood, and maybe a veil, if I have enough fabric left over. I'll have to find some matching shoes somewhere. I'm sure Nami can help me with that._

 _I wonder if there's more that I can do on this ship than clean and keep watch._

* * *

 _Ship Log 5: Baratie, the Seafaring Restaurant._

 _We met bounty hunting friends of Zoro's today: Johnny and Yosaku. Yosaku had scurvy, but Nami fixed him up with some limes. I stayed inside the kitchen until I knew they were friendlies._

 _The brothers led us to a restaurant boat. That's when a navy ship pulls alongside us. A Lieutenant calling himself Iron Fist Fullbody shot a cannon at the ship! Johnny and Yosaku joined me in the dining room while Luffy deflected it back, but he missed and hit the restaurant._

 _Luffy was drug to the owner to apologize and negotiate working off the damages. While we were docking there was a lot of commotion inside. We came in and got a table to find the sous chef beating up the Lieutenant. I was glad the restaurant was watching them, though I saw a few people recognize Zoro. That's when Luffy and the owner crash through the ceiling and another chef beat up an already dying man for not being able to pay for food. Luffy got a weird look on his face and ran after the sous chef._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 5: That idiot!_

 _Why did I join up with pirates? No. Why did I join up with these pirates? If we keep running into people like this I'm going to have to come up with a plan or jump ship. Luffy almost got on the bad side of a Navy Lieutenant. A Lieutenant! I don't think he saw me, but if something happened I'm sure it would only be a short time before the ship was searched. I'm just grateful he was too busy glaring at that curly-browed sous chef to look in our direction. I'm not sure if there's anyone who would recognize me in this ocean, but I'm not wanting to take too many risks. I even made sure there weren't any people from back home in the restaurant before I followed the rest of the crew inside._

 _On top of that, my outfit is nowhere near finished. It definitely needs a veil. If I don't have enough fabric then I'll buy some more. I got so nervous that I pulled out my personal log and started writing at the table they set us at while we wait for a chef to have his hands free long enough to take our order._

 _I noticed something strange about Nami, earlier. The Lieutenant insulted the brothers and they threw their wanted posters down on the deck. Nami seemed to recognize one of them and she's had that look in her eye far longer than normal. What's going on with her?_

 _There's a lot of banging coming from the kitchen. I hope that idiot isn't causing more trouble. Oh well. The food's here._

* * *

 _Ship Log 6: The Krieg Incident_

 _[This log is recorded after Luffy fought Arlong due to the momentary loss of the ship, and therefore, the ship's logbook. Karmen tried her best to keep things chronological and worked hard to catch up.]_

 _I suppose I should just give a general summary of everything that happened. I'm having to have everyone fill me in on details. How can I be a good secretary if I don't see the battles happen? Though, being just a secretary I'm a little glad I didn't. How much of this stuff should I write down? I'll figure it out later. For now, here's what happened:_

 _Apparently the penniless guy that got kicked out of here earlier was Don Krieg's first mate. Who knew? He brought his starving captain. Krieg tried to take the restaurant. Zoro and Usopp sniffed a fight and ran back inside. Usopp only joined because he saw a bunch of smoke and thought the fight was already over. Nami took this opportunity to steal the ship._

 _That's when Hawk-Eye Dracule Mihawk shows up. He destroyed what was left of Krieg's ship and Zoro runs out there like a kid in a candy store and challenges the guy who just sliced a galleon like a side of ham. I swear these guys are going to get me killed or die themselves. Apparently Zoro went out to sea looking to challenge Mihawk to a duel. He got lost along the way and had to become a bounty hunter to get by. He sliced Zoro up with a butter knife, but left him alive, delivering a final blows with his cross shaped sword. I'll never forget what Zoro said right before, though. "Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame." They seemed to impress Mihawk as well._

 _The brothers, Usopp, and I were sent after Nami. We took Zoro and began treating him as well as we could. Krieg and Luffy fought then, while the chefs defended the restaurant from what was left of the pirate crew after the Grand Line spit them out. Sanji told me the whole story so I could record it, in between the lines of poetry he kept spouting at me while his wounds were being redressed. I kind of wish Usopp had been the one to see everything and report back to me. He may add mounds of personal glory, but he usually keeps all the facts chronological._

 _Sanji fought a shield-man named Pearl who set himself and half the ship on fire and fleet commander Ghin, the guy who got thrown out. He says Krieg and his pirates fought dirty. They held Zeff, the owner, hostage, used hidden weapons, fired poisonous cannon balls, bombs, metal spikes, guns, and even more weapons. Just hearing his retelling of the battle makes me wish I witnessed it. One thing Sanji kept mentioning was that Ghin was a man who repaid his debts and that Luffy was pretty much an honorable nut-job. This Sanji guy is a little off kilter himself, but Luffy said he pulled him out of the ocean even though he had broken ribs after the captain had finished off Krieg, so he can't be all bad._

 _I'll have to write the rest later. Zoro's bleeding again._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 6: Aftermath_

 _[Written on the way to collect Nami.]_

 _Steel armor, cannons, bullets, swords, and warlords. I'm still trying to put today together in my head. I got a gas mask out of the whole ordeal though. Some guy tried to climb aboard our boat and the brothers knocked him out. It was hanging from his belt so I decided to keep it. It might come in handy later. I surprised myself when I learned that the restaurant owner, Chef Red-Foot Zeff, was a pirate who had logs from the grand line. If Nami hadn't unceremoniously dumped me and the brothers into the ocean and taken the ship, I may have asked to look at them. By the time I heard, however, we were long gone._

 _I'd forgotten how much I hate the sight of blood._

 _Dracule met my eye as we were treating Zoro's wounds. It had been years since I'd seen him, but I know he recognized me. He blinked once, turned away, and disappeared. Mihawk is an honorable man. Someday I want to thank him for not destroying Zoro's dream. Johnny and Yosaku had to stitch him. My hands aren't strong enough to push a needle through a man's flesh. Neither are my nerves. I ended up throwing up into the ocean before I could wash the blood off my hands. He lost two of his swords. Only the white handled one is left. From what he's said of his past, I think that one is the one he cared about most._

 _I feel useless. Usopp and Johnny have tended to Zoro's wounds, but I haven't been able to help at all. All I could do with them on either side of him is hold his head or massage his feet. I'm sure either would be more of a nuisance than aid. So instead I took out my still damp personal log and started writing. Usopp even stopped sanitizing Zoro's wounds and asked what I was doing. I could only reply with, "Being a good secretary." It would be better to record everything on the ship's log, but Nami ran off with that._

 _I know that I couldn't have changed what happened, but I hate seeing my friend slash up by someone I know. It surprises me. I've only been with the crew for less than a week, and here I am calling Zoro my friend. The only thing we have in common is a fondness for tea. I keep looking back on that one sided duel and thinking about how manly Zoro acted in the face of defeat and how honorable Dracule's parting words were. Maybe I just don't want to think about Nami. I don't want to believe that Nami's actually abandoned us. I know she only partnered up with Luffy, but she still has a place here on the crew. That's obvious just by the fact that we're going after her right now. I wonder if my position is just as secure. Navigating is a lot more necessary on the sea than writing and brewing tea._

 _Everyone I've met since leaving that island is a freak of nature, I swear. Yosaku thinks he knows where Nami is going. He jumped into the ocean to swim back to the restaurant to tell Luffy. Who says they'll swim miles back to a boat in the middle of the ocean? I get that bounty hunters and swordsmen need to train a lot, so this may be just another day in the life, but Zoro challenged Mihawk and Luffy stayed behind to fight that guy who claims he rules the East Blue._

 _Usopp and I aren't like these people. We don't have devil fruit powers or crazy training regiments. Usopp at least has a combat skill. I'm sure Nami is closer to our level, even though she's not crazy enough to fight like these guys do. Even crazier still, Zoro is still conscious. He keeps spouting nonsense about how Luffy gave him a job to do. I know he has some sort of life debt to the guy but we all agree he needs his rest, especially since fishmen are supposed to be as strong as ten men._

 _I've heard of Arlong before, but I never thought Nami would be mixed up with someone like him. And even worse, I've heard that Arlong pays off the Navy. When we get there, I'll be sure to lie low._


	5. Chapter 5: Arlong, Karmen's on a Boat

_[Author's Note: Sorry for the late update! My coworker hurt her back so I got called in and the story update slipped my mind for the day. In some of the story lines Karmen became a sort of cabbage vendor in my mind (Avatar the Last Airbender, for those of you who don't get the reference. If you haven't watched it, you should). Though she is just an observer for this scene, I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoy the comedy and hints to her past as well.]_

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 7: Idiots and Fishmen_

 _Those idiots! They go and knock Zoro out and tie him to the outer wall of the boat's one room and completely forget that I'm in here writing! Then they see fishmen swimming up to us and jump ship! I can understand leaving Zoro to his own devices, even injured, but I can't do anything against fishmen! What do they expect me to do, brew them some tea and ask nicely not to be eaten, (as they so lovingly kept imagining)? I'm going to give each of them a goose egg if I survive this._

 _Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! They're taking the boat directly into Arlong Park. I'm dinner for sure. I don't know why I'm writing in such a stressful situation. Zoro's still tied to the door, so I can't get out without getting caught. Even if I tried to open the door and slip him a knife they're sure to notice. Writing makes me feel better. It's just a habit now. I guess I'll write until I get caught._

 _I can't believe it. Fishmen may be strong, but they sure can be stupid sometimes. Either that or I'm just lucky. I guess their stupidity saved my life for now. They took Zoro to Arlong and forgot to check the boat. Zoro gave a soft tap on the door. I think he wants me to stay here for now. To make a bad situation even worse, Nami is definitely with Arlong. Zoro jumped into the water after talking with them for a while. Before I could even wiggle the door handle Nami jumped in and saved him. Somethings up, but I didn't hear or see what Zoro did before they took him into the building. From what I saw though, Nami hasn't betrayed us completely._

 _[Not Long After]_

 _A fishman loudly reported a long nosed man causing trouble in a nearby village so Arlong took half his crew to investigate. Zoro comes out of the building and slashes up everyone who's left inside. He knocked on the door and said that it was ok to come out, but I told him I was just fine in here. Arlong could be headed back any minute. If they think the boat's empty then this is the safest place for me right now._

 _Zoro said he was going to go save Usopp. Maybe I'll have some tea waiting for when they get back. I hope he's not too injured. I still don't think he should be walking around after a battle like that._

 _Zoro told me something else before he left. He said that Nami cut him loose and returned his sword. I keep thinking back to that look that she would get in her eye. I knew I recognized it. Nami's in trouble. If we can, I want to help her. Maybe I can be rescued too._

 _[Later still]_

 _Well crap. Not long after Zoro goes off to the village, Arlong comes back with Usopp in tow. I wanted to show him that I was still there, but there were twenty fishmen around him, including Arlong. Why did they dock our boat near the gate? I can't hear anything they're saying! Usopp must have fought bravely. He's shaking, but he's still being as brave as he can. Usopp was able to lay down a smoke screen, so I didn't see what happened next, but he ended up falling in the water. I think Nami might have pushed him. Maybe she was letting him swim away. I wonder why no fishmen went after him._

 _There was an earthquake and then I saw a small boat flying through the air. It would seem that our illustrious captain is here, loud and tactless as ever. He'll be here sooner or later. I might as well just wait it out. I think I saw Nami look my way. She looked pensive, like she was thinking, with her hand on her chin, but then I saw her finger slide up to her lips. Stay hidden and stay quiet. My role in this ordeal is turning out to be pretty boring, but boring is safe, so I shouldn't complain. I'm glad I brewed tea while no one was here. By the time Arlong got back the smoke was already dispersed._

 _There's a funny octopus fishman that keeps running around. From what I can tell he acts like a ferryman and does odd chores around the park. He doesn't seem like the rest of them. He's too airheaded and smiley. The other pirates were yelling at him for something, but he seems to have gotten off pretty quickly._

 _A navy ship showed up and started firing cannons. (Why is that always their first approach?) Octo-man and two others swam off to meet them. Fishmen to my front and navy at my back. If either find out who I am, I'm dead. I'm definitely staying in this boat._

 _I used to know someone who had a fishman slave once. There was a big scuffle and I'm told he died, but I wonder if that's the case. After seeing how his people have been treated, I can almost understand why Arlong created this little niche for himself in this part of the world. I cannot, however, condone his treatment of the humans who live here and the crew. Especially Nami._

 _Johnny and Yosaku came and challenged them, but they got beat up and dumped outside the gate. That's even more reason not to like these guys._

 _If Luffy is here then he beat Krieg. It seems Luffy fights a lot and I've yet to see him in battle. He's strong from what I'm told. If he's not too hurt, I hope he kicks Arlong's butt._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 8: I Got to See This One_

 _I was so surprised to see Luffy punch his way through a wall I forgot to start writing it all down until the fight was over. He had found Zoro and Usopp and that sous chef from the restaurant is with the crew? I think he said his name was Sanji. That guy has legs that don't quit. Luffy grounded himself, a little too well, and sent a small sea-cow Neptunian flying. I haven't seen one of those in years. The combination of both Luffy and the cow almost capsized my boat. Maybe it was a good thing I wasn't writing at the time. My tea spilled though._

 _Usopp pulled a kisser fishman out of the park for a private duel and Zoro challenged the octopus fishman. Arlong threw Luffy into the ocean and some of the villagers went to help him. Curly brow ended up fighting a fishman with big fins on his elbows. It seems like all of these guys were already injured, I know Zoro was, so the fights took a little longer than expected. The brothers lent him their swords, which helped a lot. I really will have to thank Dracule for not immobilizing him completely. He was able to take the octopus fishman out in a few minutes, but he was in obvious pain._

 _Sanji's fight ended up being mostly underwater, so I didn't get to see it. I did, however, see a blue haired woman holding Luffy's head above sea level just outside the gate and a huge spout of water. I don't know what happened down there, but things got taken care of. When I asked Sanji about it later he just said that he took care of business and asked if I thought he was cool. I do think it's cool that he can beat a fishman underwater, but if I told him that then he would have a more inflated ego than has already. I told him that I got to see him finish the fight once they were back on land and that seemed to satisfy him._

 _Nami ended up coming back to the park all bandaged up with Luffy's straw hat on her head. If that's not a sign that she's one of us I don't know what is. Nobody touches the hat. Usopp came back all bloodied too. He's gotten stronger. I'm proud of him._

 _Sanji went to free Luffy's feet while Zoro held off Arlong. Our captain came flying through the air and flung poor Zoro off to who knows where. There's only ocean in that direction so he had a soft landing, at least. Luffy got bit up pretty bad, but he was winning the land fight until Arlong jumped into the water. I had to stay really still so he wouldn't sense me. Even if he heard my heartbeat, he was too focused on Luffy to do anything. Still, I wonder if he could smell Zoro's blood on my clothes._

 _He propelled himself out of the water and used his nose as a spear. It worked pretty well for him until Luffy made nets from his fingers. That poor building didn't stand a chance when they took the fight inside. Sometimes I think Luffy can't help but to destroy things everywhere he goes, but Nami seemed happy when desks and things started flying out of the upper floor. I think I'll have Usopp make me a spy glass so I can see these things from a safe distance. There's no way I can record a battle accurately when Luffy brings buildings down on himself and his enemies like this. The little boat I was in got blown through the gate, but I found Zoro sleeping just outside._

 _There was a lot of cheering and I was about to finally make my way to dry land when more navy appeared. Zoro and Nami beat them up. We went back to Nami's village and celebrated. Nami had a hard eight years, I'm told, but she's free now. Zoro's been handed off to a real doctor. He's going to need a whole barrel of booze after getting stitched back up._

 _Johnny and Yosaku pulled me into the dancing at the festival that night. I let them do all the leading and stumbled around like I had never danced a day in my life. I caught Zoro making a weird face at me, but he shrugged it off and drank more. After a few hours, I managed to sneak away to a quiet part of town to write a few letters._

* * *

 _Ship's Log 7: What a Pain_

 _I finally got the ship's logs back now that we're on Merry again. It's a pain to have to write everything twice. Sanji's one of us, Nami's back, her sister Najiko is a total tangerine, Luffy kicked Arlong's butt, and despite the injuries I'm having to help tend, nobody died. I'll glue in some pages with the full story later._

 _Luffy has a bounty on his head now. The navy claims there are only four crewmembers at the moment. I'm just a secretary, it's not like I fought, so I can understand. Those fishmen and navy guys didn't see me and therefore don't know I'm part of the crew. I think I prefer it this way._

 _The villagers were so thankful to the crew that they restocked the ship for us. Nami even brought tangerine trees. Johnny and Yosaku stayed behind so they could go back to work. Nami told us to set sail and jumped onto Merry, pickpocketing the crowd on the way. I'm glad we have someone like her on board._


	6. Chapter 6: Diligence and Fish Riding

[Author's Note: The science behind the retelling in this section can be found on YouTube: The Film Theorist- "Film Theory: What REALLY saved Snow White!" (It won't let me put the hyperlink.)]

A Different Story

Karmen waves goodbye to Johnny and Yosaku from their place in the crowd of villagers on the dock. She was going to miss being called "Sister Karmen." She never had any siblings and wonders if that was what it would be like to have protective older brothers. Thinking of her family, she quickly shifts her focus to the apple in her hand, admiring the gleam off of its skin. She appreciated that the villagers had considered that not everyone's diet on the ship consisted of meat and alcohol.

"Is something wrong with it?" Zoro asks.

"Nami's tangerine trees kind of make me want to grow apples," she explained. "With what I heard about the fight with Krieg, I was trying to think of the best way to poison one." That gas mask she picked up could definitely come in handy.

He cocks an eyebrow at her. "Why would you want to do that?"

"There's an old story we were told as children back home." She smiles, letting the apple dangle loosely from her hand. Zoro looks inquisitive, so she elaborates. "There was a princess that was treated like a slave by her stepmother when her father died. She ran away and lived with seven little men who worked in a diamond mine. They loved her as a princess and because she kept house and cleaned for them.

"When her stepmother found out where she was staying, she disguised herself as an old crone and soaked an apple in nightshade. She gave it to the princess and the poison was so strong that it put her into a coma before the first bite went down her throat. Thinking she was dead, the miners put her in a glass coffin in the woods. Then some necrophiliac prince comes along and decides to kiss the dead woman.

"It turned out that the coal dust that was in her system from cleaning up after the miners had worked its way through her and negated the poison's effects, meaning she was almost out of her coma already. She was kissed so fiercely that the apple in her throat, the source of the poison, was dislodged. She wakes up soon after and everyone thought it was the magic of true love. She ended up marrying the creep anyway because he had money."

Zoro looks perturbed. "I think I heard a different version of that story as a child…"

"Just a thought." Karmen bites into her apple, thankful that the villagers don't grow grapes on their island. She hates grapes.

Usopp walks up to her once everything settles down. "Hey Karmen, you stopped by the post office before we left, right? I'm a little disappointed you didn't have me help."

She smiles up at her friend. "Sorry, Usopp. Those letters weren't to my father. Since we were on a bigger island I decided to send a letter back to Tantonia to let her know we were alright. Don't worry. I included your bravery in battle and asked her to share the news with Kaya. I also sent a thank-you letter to an old friend." She waves a pen at him. "I know it'll be hard to top, but I'll need your unyielding skills to help me write a real doozy later. With the big fuss Luffy caused I'll need dear old dad distracted."

Usopp strikes a pose and holds his thumb up to her. "Just call me Steadfast Usopp! Story Master Usopp! Captain Usopp!"

Karmen can't help laughing.

"Why do you need Usopp's help to write your dad?" Luffy asks.

"Just a game we play," she says softly. "Daddy has to guess which story I tell him is the truth. If he guesses wrong, all his responses get sent back. Who better to keep him guessing than a professional liar? In a year and a half, he hasn't managed to get the right spot even once."

"I'm Usopp, the great dramatizer!"

"Maybe Usopp helps a little too well," Nami muses.

Karmen laughs again and finishes her apple.

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 9: Useful_

 _I've been thinking of how I could be more useful to the crew. I learned a lot about farming in Syrup Village. I killed so many house plants that first six months, but they really taught me a lot. Nami spent her childhood growing Tangerine trees. Maybe she could help me grow apple trees on the ship. I'd take an orchard over a vineyard any day._

 _On a side note, I think I disturbed Zoro with a fairytale._

 _I found myself wanting to tell Luffy the truth today. Being here could be dangerous, but I need him to get me through the West Blue, even if we have to get there through the Grand Line. Right now, that's the only thing that matters._

* * *

Captain and Commitment

Luffy leans over the table where Karmen is writing. "Oh, hello Luffy. Would you like some tea?"

"I was looking to see if Sanji was making lunch yet," he says, adjusting his hat. "You sure do work hard. What do you write in those things anyway?"

"Where we've been, people we meet, fights that take place, where we're going… you know. Just the general overview of what happens. Nami comes by every now and then to give me the bearings, not that they make much sense to me right now." Karmen turns the ship's log towards him. "Would you like to read it?"

"Nah," he says. "I know pretty much everything that's in there."

"I think Sanji was in the crow's nest."

"Keep up the good work!" He walks out the door and starts yelling up the mast.

"Aye, aye, Captain." She throws a little sand over the paper to dry the ink and closes the log. Getting up, she secures the book on the shelf behind her and leaves the ink in a net satchel hanging from the corner. She gathers up her cleaning basket and makes her way below deck to the men's quarters. They had insisted on doing their own laundry, but their idea of clean left much to be desired. She knocks politely, even though she was pretty sure everyone was up on deck.

To her surprise, Usopp opens the door. "Karmen?" he asks. "Didn't you clean in here yesterday?"

Karmen glances into the room. Luffy had left a change of his clothes on the floor and there are darts scattered beneath the hammocks. Something greasy has been smeared on one of the windows and a drink had been spilled in the corner. Someone had clipped their toenails, completely missing the trashcan. "My services seem to be needed."

"Right, then." He takes the bucket of soapy water and a rag. "I'll help."

"What? You shouldn't, Usopp. You're needed up on deck."

"We made the mess so at least one of us should help clean it up, though I'm sure if you asked Sanji he would leap at the chance. We're friends, so I don't mind." He moves to the window and starts washing the smear. Karmen picks up Luffy's clothes and drops them into the hamper.

"But cleaning is one of the only things I'm good at." She throws a towel over the spill and starts chasing darts across the rolling floor.

"That's not true." He smiles while he scrubs. "The only penmanship that I've ever seen that's as pretty as yours is Kaya's. And I'm envious of the way you swing from the sail ropes. I tried the other day and failed horribly. No one can repair a sail like you do and you bring out some of my best stories. Having you here on this ship keeps me from getting depressed about how weak I am compared to the rest of the guys and you make the best tea. Fighting isn't everything, you know. It's good to have someone on standby to patch us up after a battle. All the small things you do for us really add up."

Karmen puts a free hand to her pink cheek. "Oh dear. If you keep sweet talking me like that, Kaya's going to have a fight on her hands."

"Huh? Why is that?" Usopp wrings his rag over the bucket and moves to clean up the rest of the spill while Karmen begins sweeping the floor.

She laughs softly. "You do have it bad," she teases. "Kaya is a lucky woman. Don't keep her waiting too long, ok? She'll be doing her best as well."

* * *

 _Ship's Log 8: Fishing._

 _I had a bit of an adventure today. Nami hadn't finished the day's paper yet and Usopp was fishing off the railing. I was bored so I asked to join him. The first fish I caught was as long as my forearm. Sanji praised me and took it to be cleaned. I happily threw out another line. Usopp caught two more fish before I could catch anything else. Luffy smelled our first few fish cooking and started loitering outside the kitchen. I was momentarily distracted as Usopp began reeling in another, so when there was a strong pull on my line I was pulled from the railing and into the ocean._

 _My hand was tangled in the fishing line, but I was able to surface momentarily. I said something like, "I've got this, I think." Instinct took over from there. I was able to get a good look at the giant bull tuna I had hooked. Luckily the pole Usopp had given me was a sturdy species of bamboo. I pulled myself forward on the fishing line and hooked my feet in front of the fish's fins. I strung the pole through its mouth like reigns and steered it back towards the ship. With a pull of my feet, I forced the fish to veer upward and it leapt from the water. I snapped the line with the quill I had in my belt and let go, yelling for someone to catch me. Four men scrambled to soften the impact, but it ended up being Luffy who nabbed me. He puffed up like a balloon and pulled me in, deflating as I landed. That kid is incredibly squishy._

 _I couldn't help but laughing at Usopp's face as Luffy rambled on about how awesome that was. "Fish riding is a local sport back home," I explained. I saw Zoro setting his sword down out of the corner of my eye and Sanji put his shoes back on. Apparently both were about to jump in after me. Sanji threw a towel over my head and lectured me about worrying him. Pulling my best Nami, I apologized, puffing out my lip as I untangled my hand. I saw her grinning behind her newspaper as Sanji quickly turned around and groveled for yelling. I think even Zoro snickered._

 _While I steered Sanji back towards cooking, Luffy had apparently been stretching his arm into the ocean to catch the tuna I had ridden. He abruptly finished Sanji's groveling by tossing the fish at his feet, saying that would be his portion. Sanji gave me one last look and drug the fish off to cook the captain's dinner. I dried myself off, restrung the fishing pole, and cast another line._

 _Usopp cast his next to mine and says, "Next time you write Tantonia and Kaya, you should include that. They'd never believe it."_


	7. Chapter 7: Dreaming of a Shipwreck

_Valentine's Personal Log 10: New Crewman and Planning_

 _That Lieutenant from Baratie sailed by us today. He wanted to capture Luffy now that he has a bounty but took one look at Sanji and ran. I guess our new cook is handy to keep around, even if you do have to beat him off with a stick. He always makes sure to smoke downwind from us, which I appreciate, but still. Part of me can't get past that twisty brow of his. It makes me uncomfortable. Nami turns all his attention to her favor. I just can't seem to relax enough for that. It might be why I find myself gravitating more towards Zoro. He sleeps so much it creates a peaceful air. I use that to my advantage. If Sanji comes spouting poetry, Zoro wakes up and they start arguing, which takes all attention away from me and gives me the peace and quiet I need. Seeing him sleep so much makes me tired though._

 _Luffy tried to steal my food at lunch. I was in a bad mood because I hadn't slept well and Sanji's poetry, so stabbed his hand with a pen. Sanji kicked him in the head and he stole from Usopp instead. It gave me an idea. If I added it all up right, it should only take up the rest of my savings and a whole lot of time, but I think I can pull it off._

* * *

Soft snores rise from the dining room table. Zoro walks through on a return trip from the bathroom and stops to look at the ship's secretary. Karmen is lying face down in a logbook, pen still in hand. She shivers slightly in her sleep, causing the pen to leave a zigging scribble on the page. The only words he can see around her face are, "but I think I can pull it off." He smiles and drops his top shirt over her shoulders. "I don't know what you're up to, but I like your plan for the day." He sits diagonally from her and is soon snoring as well.

Sanji finishes drying the last plate and frowns distastefully at the swordsman. "If it wouldn't wake her up as well I'd kick you out." Instead, he steps out onto the deck for a smoke. He and Karmen had argued earlier over if tea or coffee should be served with the evening snack. She had ended up drinking a cup of both and she still fell asleep. "It seems Karmen's insomnia is catching up with her. She fell asleep writing. Maybe she's getting too much caffeine from her tea."

Nami sets down her book and watches Luffy peer in the doorway. "Zoro's sleeping too."

"Crap swordsman," Sanji mumbles around his cigarette.

"She doesn't sleep very well," Nami says. "I think she has nightmares. Or maybe she just doesn't feel comfortable sleeping in the same room with me after we fought Arlong."

"It couldn't possibly be you, Nami!" Sanji kneels at her feet and takes her hand. "Being in the same space with you is like breathing in heaven." Nami pulls her hand away.

"She really likes you, Nami, but you're both right," says Usopp, leaning against the mast. He crosses his arms and frowns at the deck. "When Karmen first came to Syrup Village, she said that she was the survivor of a shipwreck. A cargo ship found her and brought her to the next island that they docked at. They took her to the mayor and she asked for a place to stay.

"She had no money and had only been able to save a few personal belongings. The only clothes she had were the ones she was wearing. The townspeople felt sorry for her and a kind woman named Tantonia took her in. She wanted to work so that she could buy her way home and spent all her time cleaning houses. After she heard me yelling about pirates for a few days she asked me if I could help her come up with a story for her father. She said she didn't want to tell him the truth about the shipwreck or for him to find out where she was because he would bankrupt himself to bring her home.

"Karmen worked hard and did her best every day. Every night she would stumble into Tantonia's house exhausted. Not long after, for at least month straight, she would start screaming in her sleep. It was always hard to help her because she flailed violently. When she was woken, she would say that she dreamed of the storm that sunk her ship. Her face would always be completely void of emotion and she would barely say anything else. I think it was because she was so exhausted afterwards. Karmen started brewing tea to keep herself up at night and she would drink even more tea because she was tired the next day. Not even our doctor could help her sleep well."

"That poor thing," Sanji weeps.

"She hasn't screamed while she's been on our ship," Luffy says.

Usopp shakes his head. "She stopped screaming a while ago, but she still has nightmares."

"She practically crushes her pillow every time it storms at night," Nami confirms.

Zoro slides one eye open and looks at Karmen who is still sleeping peacefully. He wonders if anyone else ever notices her sharpening her pens at night or how she keeps a knife hidden in her boot.

He remembers when she fell asleep in the crow's nest. He climbed up to trade shifts with her and found her passed out. He had barely touched her shoulder when she buried a pen into the wall where his hand had been seconds before. She was too groggy to acknowledge that she even made the action. There had been no bloodlust, but there was a defensive terror was in her breathing. When she was awake and aware of her actions, she asked if it was alright for him to be climbing up the netting with his injuries, completely oblivious that she had almost increased them. Whatever she has nightmares about, it isn't just a storm.

Karmen starts to stir, so Zoro pretends to sleep. She rubs her eyes, closes her logbook, and slides it into her bag. She is a little surprised to see that Zoro had given her his shirt as a blanket. She drapes it over the back of his chair and gives him a little bow. "Thank you."

She secures her pen into her belt before making her way out on deck with a yawn. Sanji dances up to her. "Karmen," he croons. "You have ink on your face. Is that my name I see smeared across your cheek?"

"I was writing about the meal, so it's possible," she says softly. "Be a dear and get me a wet rag to clean it off? Sorry I fell asleep. I slept worse than usual last night."

"Anything for you, sweet Karmen." Sanji grins and runs off to the kitchen. A loud thud proceeds his entrance and there is soon yelling between him and Zoro. Sanji returns with the wet cloth and a goose egg.

Zoro follows soon after, giving a huge yawn and buttoning his shirt. He looks around. "You should have woken me sooner. It looks like you were having an interesting conversation."

Once Karmen's cheek is clean, she stretches and turns back towards the kitchen. "I'll go make some tea."


	8. Chapter 8: The Town of Beginnings

_Ship's Log 9: Loguetown_

 _We arrived in Loguetown shortly after mid-day. Zoro went to buy swords, Nami went to look at clothes, and Sanji went to restock the pantry. Luffy ran off saying he was going to go see the platform where Gol D. Roger was executed. I joined Usopp as he went to get some equipment and made him promise to take me to a book store as well. He had more shopping to do afterwards, so I went to make sure everything was delivered unbroken. Hired hands can be careless sometimes. On the way I stopped by a doctor's office to stock up on syringes and medical supplies. Lord knows we'll need them. Nami and Usopp showed up a little later. She said there was a storm coming and we needed to prep the ship._

 _Luffy, meanwhile, got a little closer to the execution platform than he intended. Apparently a pirate named Buggy the Clown wanted revenge for a fight that happened when Nami first joined. A really pretty woman was helping him. I'm told her name is Alvida. They were about to chop Luffy's head off when lightning strikes the platform and he got away. Navy Captain Smoker and Sargent Tashigi were close behind. Our beloved captain never seems to run out of sheer dumb luck, even in the worst situations. Maybe he had some sort of guardian angel watching over his shoulder._

 _The storm really picked up then. I had already gone to tend the sails and hid when one of Buggy's men showed up. He tried to set the ship on fire but the rain stopped him. I would have poured scalding tea on his head but the navy was close behind. Maybe I could turn that into an attack. Burning Earl? Scalding Jasmine? I'll think about it._

 _Nami and Usopp made it on board fine. They pulled up the anchor and I dropped the sails. Usopp went to help Sanji. A wind pushed the ship away from the shore and soon Luffy was flying through the air with everyone. I may never know how we got away from the island so cleanly._

 _We saw the lighthouse marking the entrance to the Grand Line in only a few minutes. We had a launching ceremony by breaking a barrel of booze over the deck. Everyone said their dream as they put their foot on the lid. When it got to me I simply said, "Let's break this thing already." And we did._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 11: The Outfit and Supplies_

 _I knew we were approaching Loguetown, so I made sure to make my outfit wearable before we docked. I had a small square of fabric left over that was just big enough to use as a veil and cover my face. Everyone gave me a funny look when I walked out in it as we were docking. I said that I had an ex-boyfriend in this town that I didn't want to recognize me, adding, "I made it myself. It doesn't look bad, does it?" I pulled the hood over my head._

 _Sanji was instantly dancing around me, complimenting how the cut of the dress complimented my hips. He said the hood doubling as a sash that crossed at my neck and flowed off my shoulders was genius. Nami admitted that she was surprised I wanted to wear such a fancy outfit in a town like this. Luffy commented on the hours I spent working on it. Zoro picked up one of the sashes trailing from my shoulder and asked "Why does it have to be so flowy?" Sanji kicked his mossy head and said it was because it made me more beautiful. I guess I can appreciate some of his attention every now and then._

 _Usopp asked why I didn't start a dressmaking shop back in Syrup Village, saying Kaya would have loved to wear something like this. I found myself blushing, so I pinned the veil to the sides of the hood. Zoro watched me closely for a minute before turning back towards the harbor. Back home this dress would be considered extremely plain. I hadn't even sewn the sleeves on it yet. I'm just happy that I can go into town with the crew now without having any navy men recognize me._

 _Usopp and I went to look at chemistry equipment. I found what I needed to derive plant extracts and oils and storage materials. I bought books on herbs and toxins. Most of it was sent to the ship, but I walked around reading one of the books I bought. Usopp said he wanted to stop at a bobble shop. I told him not to let himself be suckered and went on ahead. I heard a lot of people saying Captain Smoker was in charge of this town, so I figured the best place for me was back on the ship._

 _When I got there, Navy men were searching Merry for crewmembers. I was glad I decided to go shopping. I flipped another page in my book and kept walking. One of them stopped me and asked if I had seen any pirates. "Pirates?" I responded. "What would I know about pirates? I'm just a secretary." He let me go on my way. After noting that our crates had made it to the ship, I settled myself into a diner a few streets away and drank white tea with my lunch, making sure I sat facing to a corner so I could drop my veil without anyone seeing my face. I really like this outfit._

 _I'll have to talk to Luffy about having someone watch the ship next time. Good thing we don't have any treasure. I found myself grinning like an idiot around my cup. This kind of life isn't half bad. I wanted to go around fooling more navy men, but I decided I shouldn't press my luck with childish fancies._

 _When the Navy had finally left the ship, I went aboard and hid in the crow's nest. With law enforcement looking for Luffy, things were sure to go to Hell in a handbasket pretty quickly. The sky got cloudy and then it started raining. I was glad I put my books inside before I climbed up._

 _Nami and Usopp came running up saying the storm was about to get really bad. The navy saw them and started shooting. I signaled that I was ready to drop the sails and they jumped aboard and raised the anchor. Everyone eventually made it on board and we got away, thanks to the weather._

 _In all our adventures so far, I never even considered that we could lose a crewmember, especially in a town like this. We're not even in the Grand Line yet. I need to work hard and start my training as soon as possible so that I can help to keep everyone alive. I want to make it through the West Blue, but not at the expense of someone's life. I don't want to feel that way ever again._

 _When we saw the lighthouse marking the entrance to the Grand Line, we broke a barrel of alcohol to celebrate and start our new adventure. Everyone said their dreams aloud. I could only say mine in my heart as my foot came down on the lid. I've become rather fond of this crew. I cannot let them get mixed up with my problems. Not when they have such wonderful dreams of their own. My dream isn't really a dream at all. It's just a promise I have to keep. The only one left to keep me accountable is me, so I'll keep it, even if it kills me._

* * *

 _Ship's Log 10: Reverse Mountain and Laboon_

 _We have the best navigator in the world. There's no less that I can say about her skill getting us past Reverse Mountain. Who would think that a ship could sail a current up a mountain and be deposited in the Grand Line? The rudder broke, but Luffy was able to straighten our course._

 _There happened to be a giant whale at the bottom of the exit canal. Merry's ram's head snapped off in the collision, but we made it out by ending up in the whale's stomach. His name is Laboon. He has a doctor living inside him who also runs the lighthouse on this side of the mountain. The poor whale's nose is all scarred up because he's been trying to bash down the Red Line's rocks and make it to friends he hasn't seen in 50 years. For the longest time, the doctor sedated the whale, but Luffy challenged it to a rivalry and actually kept it from killing itself until we return. Our captain is an oddity that I have yet to fully understand. I swear the universe rearranges itself to make things work for this kid. We even got a Log Pose out of the deal, since compasses are useless here._

 _Oh, and Luffy kept two people from hunting Laboon and offered those same people a ride home. Their names are Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9. This doesn't sit well with me, or half the crew, if I'm being honest._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 12: Luck_

 _A doctor. A doctor! Maybe I have some of the Captain's great luck after all. And on top of that, this crew was able to bring me to the West Blue. If we can get to the second half of the Grand Line I might actually be able to pull this off. If you can hold out for just a little longer, I'll be there to fulfill my promise._

 _I'll talk to the doctor once everything quiets down. This might kill me, but it could come in handy. I want to learn as much as I can from Crocus while we make repairs._


	9. Chapter 9: Apothecary Secretary

[Author's Note: Looking back, I realize there are a lot of changes I could have made to get to this point a lot faster, but I'm still getting to know Karmen myself. For those of you who didn't judge the series by the pilot (and the chapters of prequel) , I thank you. This is the birth of the Scarlet Secretary. That being said, this is FICTION. DO NOT try this at home. Poison is DEADLY and should not be experimented with. Karmen does so under close supervision of licensed doctors.]

* * *

Why are You Here?

When he has the chance, Usopp guides Karmen to a side hall where they can talk privately. Laboon calls softly, making the floors reverberate. "What is it, Usopp?" she asks.

"When we smashed the barrel, everyone stated a dream that they had, but you didn't say anything about what you wanted," he states. "In fact, I've never heard you say anything about what you want to do or why you came along."

Karmen hugs herself and looks down the long hall. "King of the Pirates, the world's greatest swordsman, charting the world, the All Blue, and being a brave warrior of the sea... They're all beautiful dreams that may be achieved some day. But me? I've never let myself believe in anything greater that what was in front of my eyes." She shifts her gaze to her feet. "There are places I'd like to go, but I never had anything really planned for myself. Being here on this crew, I've started to realize that anything is possible. Maybe, after we've traveled a little farther, I can find a dream of my own."

Usopp smiles at her. "We have seen a lot since leaving the island, huh?"

"You've seen more than I have," Karmen laughs. "I've stayed on the ship for most of it."

"Yeah, but you don't fight, so that's understandable," Usopp says, pointing a thumb at his nose. "My goal is to be a brave warrior of the sea, so I have to fight lots of dangerous enemies. I'll fight off five hundred, no, a thousand men so you don't have to!"

Karmen smiles at him. "With talk like that, I don't doubt your dreams at all. But if I can get the information I need, maybe I can start fighting for myself." She turns and waves to him over her shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to the old man."

Karmen finds Crocus sitting next to the big syringe used to sedate Laboon. "Can I ask you something, sir?"

"You can ask," he says. "Can't say I'll answer."

"What do you know about poisons and building immunities?"

* * *

Apothecary Secretary

"What's all the fuss about? We've just left Reverse Mountain," Luffy complains. "I want to watch for Whiskey Peak." The captain leans over the table and pouts. The rest of the crew looks up at Karmen, confused as well.

"If you sit quietly, then it won't take too long." Karmen passes out tea and sits down at the head of the table. Taking a deep sip, she holds up a porcelain teacup with a red feather painted on it. "From this point on, this cup is mine. Anyone who drinks from it without me present is liable to die."

"I know you like your tea, but isn't that taking it a little far?" Zoro asks.

Karmen gives a sly smile and sets two small bottles on the table. "I've been thinking about how I can be more useful to the crew from a combative standpoint. I've been thinking on it for a while now, and with Crocus' help, I've finally been able to set my plan in motion." Luffy lifts his head. "I'm going to store and become immune to poisons that we come across on our journey."

"What?!" Usopp stands up and slams his hands on the table, expressing the shock of the crew. "I refuse to let you do this!" Expecting this reaction, she sips her tea and lets them speak.

"We don't even have a doctor yet!" Nami cries. Sanji grits his teeth and Zoro sets his jaw.

"That's so cool!" Luffy grins.

"I'm sorry, Usopp, but I've already begun." Karmen takes a long sip of her tea from the red-feathered cup.

Zoro narrows his eyes. "You can't mean…"

"Yes. The tea that I've been drinking during this conversation has trace amounts of poison in it. Relax. I'm starting small. With the type and amount, the worst effects it should give me is vomiting, but in higher doses it could kill someone. The cup is liable to keep small amounts of poison on it, even after it's washed, which is why I said that anyone who drinks from this cup could die."

"Why didn't you talk to me about this before?" Usopp yells.

Karmen sips her tea again. "Because you would have stopped me."

"And how does drinking poison give you any advantage in combat?" Sanji asks in a tone calmer than his face conveys.

Karmen meets his eye steadily. "If I can identify poisons that the crew may be exposed to, then I can make an antidote for it; say for example, we go into a forest and Luffy eats a poisonous fruit. I still may not do much fighting, but being able to immobilize an enemy can make up for my lack of strength. I'm tired of sitting around and watching you guys nearly kill yourselves in battle while I sip tea and write about it."

"Do you know how to use a weapon?" Nami asks.

"No." Karmen drains her cup and sets it on the table carefully. "But that's the point of training, isn't it?"

Usopp's hands ball into fists. "You said that Crocus gave you the poison to start off with?"

"That's right. The other bottle is the antidote." He reaches into his bag and pulls out his slingshot, moving around the table to reach the door. Karmen quickly produces a sharp quill pen and throws it inches in front of his face. The pen buries itself in the wall and quivers for a moment. "Don't go beating up old men, Usopp. He only did what I asked of him. He gave me careful instructions so that I could do this safely."

"I thought you said you can't use weapons," Zoro says, loosening his grip on his sword as Usopp falls to his knees in shock.

Karmen produces another pen. "I don't consider these weapons. Not yet anyway. I got bored last month when I couldn't sleep so I decided to try using them as darts. I've gotten pretty good at it, but it's still pretty useless in a fight. I've been thinking about getting some that are all metal and dosing them with a paralytic, if I can find one."

"What happens in fifteen minutes when the poison makes its way into your system? If you've drunk too much and pass out, what do we do?" Sanji asks, lighting a cigarette.

"Pick a bottle and hope it's the antidote." Karmen rubs a finger over the rim of her cup. "In smaller doses, some poisons can have medicinal qualities that could come in handy later as well."

"Immune to poison, huh?" Luffy grins. "That's awesome! I want to try." He reaches a hand across the table for the cup. Karmen stabs the pen in her hand into the table between his fingers before he can reach it.

"I'm sorry, Luffy. This is my decision and mine alone. If something goes wrong, I'm the only one who can take the blame. Do you understand?"

"Awww. You aren't going to give me any?" He pouts but pulls his hand back.

"I think it's for the best, Luffy," Nami breathes. She watches Karmen pull the pen out of the table and smooth the splinters. "Just promise us you won't get careless, ok?"

"Don't worry," Karmen says. "I promise I won't test any poison without having an antidote on standby."

"I don't like it, but I guess you've shown us we can't stop you," Sanji says, taking a deep drag. He sighs out smoke. "If you limit the doses to once a day you should be able to build immunities without killing yourself."

Luffy sits back and crosses his arms, grinning widely. "I accept." The crew stares at him, shocked. "The King of the Pirates could use a poison's expert."

Zoro sighs as well. "If it's what you want to do, I won't stop you."

Usopp stashes his slingshot back in his bag and stands, refusing to look at her. "Is that it then? Your dream is to become immune to poisons?"

"No," she replies softly. "But I think it can help get me there."

"Do what you want." Usopp walks outside.

Karmen lets out a breath. "That's all I wanted to discuss. Captain Luffy, thank you for your consent."

Zoro stays put as everyone stands and leaves the cabin with a few parting words. Karmen lays her head down on the table and rubs the splinters she made. "Do you think he'll get over it?"

"Usopp's upset because he cares about you. It's a natural reaction after an announcement like this." Zoro picks up a bottle and twists it in his hand. "What kind of poison did he give you anyway?"

"Crystallized bloodroot extract. I only used a fourth of a crystal in my tea."

He examines her depressed state. "It's not affecting you already, is it?" He returned the bottle.

"No," she says. "I was just hoping Usopp would understand."

Zoro stands and pulls her pen out of the wall. Handing it back to her he says, "If this is the best way you can think to defend yourself, then I say go for it. Usopp will get over it when he sees how useful it can be in a battle."

"That's going to be a while," she sighs. "I've only got the one poison and I'm not immune to anything yet."

"You'll get there." He stands in the doorway and watches Nami interact with Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9. "What do you make of those two?"

Karmen stands, stashing the two bottles in her pocket, and joins him in his observations. "They're odd, that's for sure, but they don't seem to be a problem at the moment. If they do cause trouble, I'll just make sure to give them the wrong tea."

"We need to come up with a signal if you're going to start pulling stunts like that."

Karmen rests the feathers of her pens against her chin. "How about I hold the cup with two fingers, indicating which cups are dosed?" He nods his approval. "You know it's funny. When I planned that meeting, I never thought you'd be the one to approve of my training."

"I wouldn't exactly say I approve, but I can understand it," he says. "Poison can come in handy in a pinch. I don't use the stuff, but I've met plenty of swordsmen who did. You just have to be careful with it, that's all."

"It's not that I want to kill people, and if I do it right, I won't," she explains. "It's just that I'm not crazy strong like you guys are. Even Usopp has something that he can do, and Nami has that collapsible staff of hers. I don't want to be the link that sinks the ship."

Zoro watches Karmen wrap her cup in a towel and carefully place it in her bag. "If you want, I can try talking to Usopp for you."

"No," she sighs. "It would be best if I do it. Like you said, he's only upset because I've made him worry."

After examining the deck and not finding him, Karmen climbs up to the crow's nest and sits beside her angry friend. He exhales but doesn't move away, which she reads as a good sign. "I don't suppose I can change anything, can I?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, Usopp. I know it's dangerous, but this is something I want to do. I'm also sorry that I threw a pen at you." She places a hand on his armband. "I want to be able to fight too. I'm being really careful, so don't worry about me, ok?"

"You idiot. Of course I'm going to worry," he says. "I actually like that you want to fight with us. That pen thing is really scary. It would be great in battle. I think I'm more upset by how brave you're being to do it. I don't think I could ever have the courage to do something like that."

Karmen smiles at him. "What are you talking about? You're way braver than I am. I could never defeat a fishman all by myself or stand up to a whole crew of pirates. I think it's manly that you would admit that, though."

"I guess I am pretty great, huh?" He gives a shaky laugh.

"You are," she agrees happily, "which is why I'm entrusting this to you." She places the liquid filled bottle in his hand. "That's half of the antidote to the poison I have now. If I mess up, put five drops of that under my tongue, ok?"

"What?! Why are you giving this to me?!"

"Because you're my friend, Usopp. I trust you with my life."

When he's over his shock, he grips the bottle firmly and stands. "Then it's decided." He grins. "We'll be brave warriors of the sea together."

She laughs with him. "The apothecary of the sea."

"So does this mean you're the one who put all those scratches in the storeroom boxes?"

"Yeah. They make good targets. I didn't want to miss and hit _Merry_ by mistake. I feel bad for splintering the wall in the kitchen."

"You splintered the table too."

She nods, accepting the blame. He helps her to her feet. "If we're ok now, I think I'm going to get down. Crocus said the bloodroot could make me feel weak for a while."

"Then what are you doing up here? Get down on deck!"

* * *

 _Research Log 1: Bloodroot._

 _Name of Poison: Sanguinarine._

 _Amount Ingested: ¼ crystal_

 _Possible symptoms: Severe nausea, muscle weakness, clammy skin, asphyxiation, heart attack._

 _Time since dose: 30 minutes_

 _No symptoms yet._

 _1 Hour:_

 _I feel a little weak. Nothing major._

 _2 Hours:_

 _Weakness gone. Nauseous. Everyone keeps glancing in my direction to make sure I haven't kicked the bucket._

 _3 Hours:_

 _Still nauseous. Haven't puked. I kind of wish I would._

 _4 Hours:_

 _I feel a little better._

 _5 Hours:_

 _Am I really doing that again tomorrow?_

 _6 Hours:_

 _I feel tingly, but nothing else. Nami says my pupils are a little dilated, but agrees that the worst is over. I may sit down next to Zoro and take a nap._


	10. Chapter 10: New Discoveries

_Ship's Log 11: Grand Weather, Grand Reception_

 _It started snowing and soon after it began storming. I thought my cheeks were going to get sliced by the ice in the air. Merry hit an iceberg and a strong wind tore the sail. Usopp repaired the damage below and when the wind had settled, I started sewing. I've gotten pretty good at judging lengths of rope. I was able to jump down to the deck and fold the sail up at the same time, giving myself just enough rope that I didn't hurt my ankles landing. I'm glad I haven't given myself today's dose of poison yet. There's no way I could help in weather like this if I feel shaky. I'd throw up for sure._

 _Watching Zoro sleep under a blanket of snow reminds me of the boys back in Syrup Village who would see who could stand in the cold the longest without freezing to death. Nami gave him a few good lumps, just like the boy's mothers would. We caught sight of Whiskey Peak and our guests jumped ship to swim ahead._

 _We were welcomed to the island by Mayor Igarappoi with a feast. They pulled Nami and Zoro into a wine drinking competition, but I refused on the grounds that I hate grapes. I took my dose before getting to the island, so I was starting to feel sick anyway. When everyone started to sleep off the fun, I stepped out back to throw up. Someone coiled some rope around me and threw me into a closet. I think I said something like, "Come on guys, I'm just a secretary!" I ended up sleeping off the effects of the poison even though I was in a spotty situation. I had a bad dream, so I was a little relieved when I woke up long enough to hear gunfire. I figured this would be the best place for me in my state._

 _Zoro says this town is filled with Baroque Works' bounty hunters that he turned down a few years ago. He had fun testing out the two swords he got in Loguetown. He was grinning like Luffy when he told me about the fight. Everyone on this crew is nuts. I love it._

 _It turns out the Mayor and Miss Wednesday are actually Squad Captain Igaram and Princess Nefertari Vivi from the country of Alabasta, which is currently split by a civil war. They infiltrated the organization to find the identity of Mr. 0, the boss, who turned out to be Crocodile, the Warlord. The stronger Baroque Works agents found out who they were and came to eliminate them. Nami offered Zoro's help in the matter, for a price, and later included the whole crew._

 _I'm told Igaram went ahead as a decoy and died bravely for his princess. Everyone ran back to the ship, grabbing Usopp and Sanji on the way. It had gotten quiet by the time I woke up again, so I started kicking the door. Zoro heard me and instead of untying me on the spot, threw me over his shoulder. We made it back to the ship before everyone else and found a duck on board. He is the most adorable thing I've seen in this town. Zoro cut me loose and I threw up over the bulwark for good measure before grabbing the logbook._

 _A frightening woman named Miss All Sunday showed up, talked for a while, and left on a giant turtle as we pulled away from the island. Apparently she's the one who blew Igaram up. Zoro and Nami caught us up on everything that happened._

 _We are now on our way to Little Garden._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 13: Vivi_

 _I thought that blue hair looked familiar. As soon as I saw the duck, I had all the pieces in the right place. She wouldn't know me, but everyone back home has heard of her._

 _These Baroque Works guys are going to be trouble. I keep kicking myself, thinking that Vivi could have been just one of many who were working undercover in the syndicate. She's already seen my face, so there's no use hiding from her, but I feel like my red outfit is going to get a lot of use soon. Hopefully it doesn't get damaged. There's not a lot of places between here and Alabasta where you can find good fabric. I'll have to be extra careful with my movements while Vivi is onboard. If anyone were to recognize my second-nature customs it would be her. I guess I shouldn't ride any fish for a while either._

* * *

 _Ship's Log 12: Little Garden_

 _So by little, Miss All Sunday meant we were little. This is an island of ancient creatures that are long extinct in most of the world. There were two Elbafian giant chiefs, Dorry and Broggy, who have spent a hundred years dueling and coming up with draws. They really inspired Usopp. I enjoy watching his face light up when he admires someone. If we keep meeting people like this, he's sure to achieve his dream._

 _Baroque Works agents Mr. 5, a man named Mr. 3, and their female partners show up and ruined the giant's prideful duel and then attack the crew. Mr. 3 had eaten the wax-wax devil fruit and was able to make wax traps, structures, and weapons at will. He nearly turned the crew and the giants into statues._

 _I don't know what we would have done without Karoo and Usopp. They swooped in and melted the wax at the last minute. Zoro had nearly cut his legs off trying to escape. While cutting off one's leg for survival is honorable and brave, I turned grey when I saw the injury. It may have been a combination of the wound and the poison I took today. I told him to be a dear and stop trying to kill himself before we found a doctor._

 _Sanji shows up out of the blue after everything's started to settle down. He says he found Mr. 3's hideout and told Mr. 0 we were all dead over a transponder snail. Then he pulls out an eternal pose to Alabasta from his pocket. I guess it makes up for him completely missing out on the fight and the poetry he kept spouting to me afterwards._

* * *

Karmen Finds Caapi

Karmen leaps from the ship and flips through the book in her hand. "I knew it! Usopp! Help me make a basket."

"Why do you need a basket?" Usopp asks as he gathers vines.

"This book has a whole section on known jungle plants and there are only two here that I can recognize. Some of these are bound to be poisonous."

"You recognize some?" Nami asks. "I've never seen any plants like these before."

Karmen smiles. "This is the Ayahuasca vine and this is the Chacruna plant. Together they make Caapi tea."

"Never heard of it," Usopp admits. "Can we have some with dinner tonight?"

"Do you want to hallucinate?" She looks at him incredulously. "I told you I'm looking for toxins."

"Then what do you need this for?" Usopp holds up the finished basket.

"To gather plant samples, of course. How am I supposed to figure out which plants are poisonous if they're not in my books?" She examines some of the wildlife nearby. "Maybe when Luffy gets back I can convince him to help me milk snakes."

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 14: Extra samples_

 _If I eat the bark of the vine and the leaves of the plant separately, I should be able to gain immunities to them without having the awful hallucinations that are reported with caapi tea. I grabbed extra, just in case. Hopefully Sanji won't be too upset about me adding extra "seasonings" to my meals. Once I get my base immunity built up, I'll start adding some of the other extracts and venom I found to my tea. I've run into trouble trying to dehydrate some of my samples. How are you supposed to remove moisture from something on the ocean? Maybe Usopp can help me figure something out. He's innovative like that. Too bad that wax guy was an enemy. He could have made some great seals._

 _I met him and Miss Golden Week while gathering plants after Nami and Usopp disappeared from the ship. He had made a little wax house for himself and his assistant. I thought they were traveling artists looking for inspiration. When I sniffed out the Earl Gray he was drinking, he invited me in for a cup. When asked, I simply said that I was a traveling secretary and that my employer was passing through this island. In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't say who my employer was. Mr. 3 was an interesting man, when he wasn't trying to slaughter the crew, and his assistant is adorable. After a few cups and pleasant conversation I excused myself to survey more plants, saying I was looking for ingredients to make tea._

 _Vivi says that Mr. 5's assistant's code name is Miss Valentine. Luffy asked if we were related. I said that a code name was a code name and that she couldn't hold up to an original Valentine. I've come to like this name and I won't have it stolen by some floozy with an obnoxious laugh, even if she does have devil fruit powers._

 _About the time Nami and Zoro got picked off, Mr. 3 comes by and locks my feet in a puddle of hardened wax, asking politely if I would refrain from interfering with his next works of art. That idiot may know his tea, but he definitely underestimates a good secretary. I had a thermos of hot tea in my basket. As soon as he was out of earshot I poured it over my ankles to melt the wax and freed myself. My skin blistered and I lost my shoes, so I couldn't go very far very fast. I promised myself that if I had the chance I'd poison his tea someday. I think I will call this technique Burning Earl. It's comical and, amongst certain Baroque Works agents, there are several Earls I'd like to pour scalding tea on._

 _I found the fight and set myself up a safe distance away to record everything once I saw Luffy and Usopp show up with the duck. Never underestimate an Alabastan duck and a first class sniper. I guess I shouldn't leave out the captain. He's a tough little idiot who can't dodge paint to save his life. It was satisfying to see him pummel Mr. 3. Despite her affiliations, I can't seem to make myself upset with little Miss Golden Week. She just too adorable. She may have hidden some paint on me somewhere. Candle man, however, owes me a new pair of shoes. At least I got to ride Karoo back to the ship._

 _My huge basket is overflowing with plants, vines, flowers, leaves, and bark. Usopp says he'll help me set up a workstation of some sort. He has a few ideas about keeping out the moisture and reducing whatever fumes my experiments cause. I pulled some lash work and asked him to make me a drying rack for herbs as well, making sure to praise his heroics in the process. I think I made Nami proud. Vivi couldn't help giggling. I promised to help, of course, but I know nothing about woodworking or metal crafting and he's being a dear for agreeing to build it. I'll help with the designing at least. It will be my workstation after all._

 _I tried to get Luffy to milk snakes for me, but he just knocked them out and piled them in front of me. By the time I had them sorted by type they were starting to wake up and Sanji was punting them back into the jungle. If it didn't hurt to bend my ankles I would have kicked him back and told him that I needed those. I still got several bottles of venom collected, mostly because the snakes that were still out cold were huge. I'm not sure all of them were snakes though. A few of them looked like dinosaurs. They were poisonous, so I didn't nitpick. I think Usopp was nervous about how much I gathered, but he didn't say anything. I know he's trying to be understanding, but he's still struggling with it a little. If he only knew what the waters ahead are like, even outside the Grand Line. I have to train hard._


	11. Chapter 11: Fluke Powder

Karmen sits in the crow's nest with a thermos of tea, trying to decide if she should up the dosage of her daily poison. A steady _Kink, Kink, Whump_ has been sounding for hours now. She leans over the wall and watches the first mate swinging 500 kg on a pole-like a sword despite his injuries.

"Screw it." She sits back down and drops an entire grain of bloodroot extract into the thermos and gives it a good shake. "I can't get stronger if I'm afraid to take a full dose." When it's well mixed, she pours herself a cup and drinks a good amount. "This time I won't let myself throw up." That's when Vivi yells that Nami has collapsed. Concern runs down Karmen's spine as Sanji runs from the kitchen in a full panic.

She swings down from a slack rope. Before she can run to the navigator's side Sanji grabs the front of her shirt and holds her against the mast. His actions aren't forceful, but they convey a certain level of conflicted hostility. "Tell me you didn't."

Karmen is too stunned to speak for a moment. "You can't possibly think that I would… Of course not!" She slaps his hands away. "I've kept the bloodroot on me at all times and I never let my cup or thermos out of my sight! I don't even wash them in the sink!"

Usopp runs over and pulls Sanji away. "Karmen would never poison Nami. There has to be some other explanation."

A thought washes over Karmen like arctic seawater. "Oh Nami, tell me you didn't." She runs over to her roommate and grasps her hand. "Nami. I need you to focus and answer something for me. Did you touch or eat any of the plants or liquids that I had in corner of the anchor room?" Nami shakes her head. "Did you have any contact with my cup or poison?" Nami shakes her head again. Karmen looks up at Sanji. "I really don't want to ask this, but I have to be sure. You didn't mistake them for herbs and try to cook with them, right?"

"Of course not!"

Sanji and Zoro carefully pick Nami up and move her into the cabin. Vivi follows them and Luffy stands in the doorway.

Karmen stays kneeling on the deck. "It can't be the bloodroot. It would make her skin clammy. She's burning up."

Usopp stands Karmen up and holds her gently by the shoulders. "Think carefully, Karmen. Can any of those plants you brought back cause these symptoms?"

Karmen shakes her head. "I don't know. I haven't been able to examine any of them yet to even know if they are poisonous. That's why I wouldn't let anyone help me with the basket and I didn't set up my equipment in the bedroom or storeroom. I even washed my hands several times to make sure…" She holds up her raw red hands and looks over at the door. They've laid Nami on a bench and are putting a cold cloth to her head. Karmen finds herself grabbing the front of his overalls and laying her forehead on his bare shoulder.

"Karmen, you're shaking." He wraps his arms around her.

"This could be climate sickness." Vivi's voice cuts through the panic. "People not used to the weather of the Grand Line get suddenly sick like this. It can be deadly." Luffy moves inside.

Usopp leads Karmen into the cabin. She lets go of him and sits on the floor by the wall, rolling her thermos in her hands. When Vivi asks if there was anyone with medical experience, the men point to Nami.

"What about you?" Zoro asks Karmen. "You said in small doses some poisons can be used like medicine."

"Not the bloodroot." She shakes her head. "And I don't even know what the others are. I'd test them on myself before I gave them to someone as sick as Nami. All I could do is try to extract the oils anyway. That takes time. I don't have the experience or knowledge to try something like that."

Sanji steps over, looking ashamed as he sees the state of her hands. He kneels and bows until his head touches the floor. "I'm sorry I accused you. I know you took great care in keeping us away from anything harmful."

Karmen shakes her head. "Get up, Sanji. I thought the same thing at first. I'm sorry I insulted your knowledge of seasonings."

Karmen goes to the next room and brings out the ship's log and begins to write the events as they happen.

 _Ship's Log 13: Sickness_

 _Nami fell ill. Vivi says it may be a deadly disease called climate sickness. Nami put on a big show to make it seem like she was fine. She says that she's been hiding the newspaper form Vivi because she didn't want to worry her with the knowledge of things getting worse in Alabasta. We need a doctor, but Vivi's people are in danger. Nami still has the energy to yell at Zoro, which is a good sign. She had enough presence of mind to navigate us away from what would have been a deadly water cyclone, but she's fading fast. Vivi put on a brave face and asked us to find a doctor as quickly as possible so that we can get to Alabasta._

 _I'm scared._

Karmen stands, leaving the log on the floor, and goes outside where Zoro is lifting weights. The first few flakes of snow start to fall. "Are you alright?"

Karmen looks down at the thermos in her hand, her voice shaky. "Usopp was right. I never should have brought anything like this on board." Karmen raises her arm to throw the thermos into the ocean. Zoro catches her hand.

"Don't go making hasty decisions because you're upset." Karmen tries to pull away so he can't feel the tremors running through her. He lightly tightens his hold. "You said that you don't know what you have in that room back there or if it could help Nami. Is there any good way to find out?" He feels her begin to calm down and her body stills. He lets go of her hand when her breathing evens out.

Karmen hooks her thermos onto her belt. Her eyes narrow as she starts to set a plan in place. "Sanji! Get me a bowl of ice! Luffy, come with me once I'm ready." She disappears into the anchor room. When she comes out she is wearing spotless rubber gloves and has a small sheet of plastic and a syringe in her hands. She goes into the bedroom where Nami has gone to rest. Vivi moves aside as the captain, cook, and secretary approach.

"Nami," she says. "I don't know if I have anything that can help you, but if do, then I'm going to need some of your blood to find out." Nami pulls up her sleeve and offers her arm. "I only watched a doctor do this back home, so sorry if I stick you a few times before I find a vein." Karmen stretches Luffy's finger and ties it around Nami's arm tightly until a vein appears. "Sanji does a good job of keeping us all hydrated, doesn't he?" She is able to draw blood without any problems. She lets Luffy go, wrapping the syringe in the plastic and laying it in the waiting bowl of ice.

"What are you going to do?" Luffy asks as Karmen takes the bowl from Sanji.

"I'm going to try to be useful," she answers.

She returns with the blood to her corner of the anchor room where Usopp has hung plastic from floor to ceiling. They made sure the window had a chimney that vents any fumes away from the deck. She has her equipment lined up on the table and several drying racks hung from the ceiling lined with half the samples she had acquired in Little Garden. She pulls the Krieg gas mask over her face and sits on the stool while Luffy and Usopp step into the room to watch her work, staying outside of the plastic.

The next hours are spent examining slides of blood under a microscope as she exposes them to varying doses of plant extracts, powders, and smokes. It's a slow process because she's having to constantly check books and wait for certain extracts to reduce or dry out. Finally, she lifts the gas mask and turns to the men. "Have Sanji make Nami a broth while I clean up."

Fifteen minutes later, Karmen meets everyone but Zoro in the bedroom with a fold of paper in her hand. She mixes a small amount of white powder from it into the broth as she speaks. "I'm sorry Nami," she says. "I found three poisons, fifteen useless plants, a few dozen flowers that can be made into perfume, and only one bit of bark that seems to negate some of the symptoms that affect your blood. I don't think it'll cure you, but you should be able to rest a little better." Nami lets Karmen spoon broth into her mouth. "It should bring down the inflammation some. I made a reversing agent as well, so if you start feeling off, tell me as soon as possible."

"What's more 'off' than this?" she jokes. The broth goes down slowly since Nami has little appetite and her breathing is labored, but after thirty minutes her breathing becomes less ragged. Karmen sits poised to pop a cork off of a small glass bottle if things go badly while glancing between the clock and Nami. Her free hand steadily jots down notes with each change. "What do the flowers smell like?" Nami asks after a while.

Karmen gives a relieved smile and sets the bottle on the nightstand. "They smell really nice. We're going to get you better and get Vivi home. When we get there we three are going to be the envy of Alabasta. Just think. We'll be the only ones in the entire kingdom who have perfume made from flowers that are supposed to be extinct."

"That sounds good," Nami says as she fades into sleep. Karmen checks her pulse while Vivi checks her temperature again.

"Her fever's gone down some," the princess confirms.

"Good," Karmen responds. "Let's let her sleep for now. If her breathing slows too much pour some of the liquid from that bottle into her mouth and come get us."

"What are you going to do now, Karmen?" Sanji asks.

"I need to check the slides again to make sure there are no delayed effects. I don't know much about the extract I just used. For all I know, I could have just made her worse."

"She looks better," Usopp says.

"For now," Karmen agrees. "But sooner or later the stuff I just gave her is going to wear off or make her sicker and we still don't have a qualified doctor. With the attack that happened on Little Garden, I only gathered enough bark for one more dose."

After making sure the next dose was tested, secured, and the slides are checked, Karmen makes her way up on deck. She sits with her back against the cabin wall. "You look exhausted," Zoro says, dropping the binoculars from his face as she pours herself some tea from her thermos. She drinks a capful and puts it away.

"Right before Nami collapsed I upped my dose and drank a lot of it." She leans her head back and lets snow fall on her face. "I feel like my arms are going to fall off if I pick up any more bottles."

"How much did you add?"

"I used a full grain."

"And you were able to test all those plants in that state? I'm impressed."

"The muscle weakness didn't kick in until two hours ago." She would have waved off his comment, but her hands feel like lead.

"How are things below deck?"

"Nami is sleeping. The powdered extract I gave her makes it a little easier for her to breathe. We're just treating the symptoms. She's still really sick."

"You did good." He smiles at her.

"It was a fluke," she says, returning his gaze with a small smile of her own. "Out of all the plants in that jungle I just happened to grab one that can be used as medicine. I guess we're the kind of people who get by on flukes though, aren't we?"

"Some of you, maybe," he agrees. "I get by on skill."

Karmen chuckles and leans her head back again. "I need to make antidotes for the three poisons I found. Maybe I'll make little flower arrangements in every room with all the useless stuff I gathered. Oh. I almost forgot." She holds up a wooden bowl containing a green paste. "This seems to have some anti-bacterial properties. Put it on your legs when you change your bandages. I have no idea what is is, so if it starts to itch more than a regular healing wound, wash it off."

He accepts the bowl and stores it carefully beside him. Karmen falls asleep, despite having insisted on making antidotes as her eyelids drooped. Zoro checks her breathing and her pulse before throwing a blanket over her and carrying her into the cabin. "Be proud of her, Usopp," he whispers to the empty room. "Our little secretary has gotten stronger."


	12. Chapter 12: Poisons and Antidotes

[Author's note: The three poisons Karmen found while searching for a way to help Nami become Karmen's main three weapons. I'm the type of writer that pours hours of research into what they're working on, so you all can join in on the irony that the poisons Karmen uses most are the three that I made up. After this chapter, Karmen and Chopper work closely together in between scenes to ensure she does not use too much poison on herself in one day and what dose will safely incapacitate an enemy.]

 _Ship's Log 14: Wapol and Chopper_

 _Sanji reported an island not long after we were attacked by a pirate named Wapol (who turned out to be the ex-king of Drum Island). We pulled into a river and were surrounded by trigger happy villagers with rifles. Vivi was grazed but made it possible to seek help. Luffy and Sanji carried Nami to the top of a mountain to find the witch doctor, Kureha, and her assistant, Tony Tony Chopper. Chopper is a blue-nosed reindeer who ate the human-human fruit. He can walk and talk like a person, but he has animal instincts and can change his shape and size at will._

 _That poison yesterday hit me like nightshade on an apple. When I woke up even Zoro and Karoo were gone. I climbed up into the crow's nest to look for them. A short while later Wapol's men show up and followed the footprints in the snow instead of coming aboard. Lucky me. I decided to work on antidotes for the poisons I found so that I can safely fight with them, should the need arise._

 _Zoro ended up saving the villagers from Wapol's men in order to get a coat, since he left his here on the ship. Sanji was injured in an avalanche so Luffy carried him and Nami up the sheer 5000 m. cliff side of the mountain. His fingers and toes were torn up when he came back. I'm glad we have such a kind and determined man as our captain._

 _Nami says her illness was caused by the bug bite she received on Little Garden. It is a disease called Kestia that was meant to be extinct and kills people in five days. Good thing the doctor was 139. I don't think anyone our age would have been able to save Nami. I am relieved beyond words that it wasn't my poisons that made Nami sick, and even more relieved that she is better._

" _King" Wapol and his officers attacked the castle where everyone was recuperating, wanting to take back Drum Kingdom after he abandoned his people to pirates. Luffy and Chopper took them out and a man named Dalton became the elected leader of the kingdom._

 _It seems Chopper's dream is to be a pirate doctor in honor of his late human father, Dr. Hiriluk. With a little convincing, Luffy got him to join our crew. They found Karoo frozen in the river and returned to the ship. Sanji agreed that we could set aside our tea vs. coffee dispute and made everyone hot cocoa instead. Chopper seems to like sweet things. We set sail from the island and the falling snow turned pink like cherry blossoms while we sat toasting our new member and friend._

* * *

Karmen double checks the log before looking up again. "Just so I have this straight, Chopper, you're a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Zoan type fruit, a doctor, you can speak to other animals, and you are the most adorable thing I've ever seen." Chopper shifts self-consciously, but seems to be pleased.

"That's a lot to take in at once," Usopp says, looking down at the newest crew member. "It's not every day that you meet a talking reindeer."

"How can you still be talking like that, Usopp." She pours Chopper more hot chocolate. "He's awesome."

"Y-you mean you really like me? Even though I have hooves and a blue nose?" Chopper blushes.

Karmen pulls Chopper close and rubs his hat. "What are you talking about? We're going to be friends, aren't we?"

"Friends?"

She lets him go. "What's the matter? You do want to by my friend, right?"

Chopper smiles tearfully. "I do!"

"Good. Then it's settled." Karmen makes one final note in the log as she watches the pink snow falling. "Your mentor sounds amazing. I wish I could have met her."

Sanji glares over at Karmen. "That woman was a monster."

"Half the people on this ship, including you, have monstrous strength, but no one's making comments about you. Besides. You're the one who insisted on trying to fight with an injured back."

"She drop kicked my spine and sat on me!"

"She fixed it, so I don't see the problem. If it hadn't been for her you'd have been bedridden for half a year. Then where would the crew be? If I tried to cook I'd burn the ship down for sure." Secretly Karmen feels the whole situation is justice for all the poetry she has to listen to on a daily basis, but she keeps this to herself.

Nami smiles. "I have to agree with Karmen. She was scary, but she was a good person. We seem to run into a lot of people like that."

"Luffy collects them," Usopp comments.

"By the way, Chopper, I'm trying to become immune to poisons. Can you help me with doses and making antidotes? I found some poisonous plants that I can't identify and I want to make sure I do things properly."

"Pirates are brave," Chopper says admiringly and agrees to look over her workstation. After sniffing some plants, he finds the small bowl of powder that Karmen had set aside for Nami. He tastes it. "This is Chuchuhuasi. It's used as a muscle relaxer and an anti-inflammatory. It's rare outside of a rainforest."

"I've been calling it fluke-powder," Karmen admits. "I gave it to Nami when she was sick. I was working out of books, trying to make some kind of medicine, so it was a fluke that I didn't kill her."

"It wasn't that much of a fluke," Zoro comments. "You just happened to pick the right plant, that's all."

"It made me more comfortable," Nami agrees. "Thanks again for working so hard to find it."

Karmen blushes and kicks wads of useless research notes towards the trash can. Chopper leans towards three jars that are holding dried plants. "These are the ones you know are poisonous, right?"

"That's them." Karmen nods. "Be really careful with the one on the right." She slides on her gloves and digs through a box of snow in the corner until she finds a sheet of plastic. Beneath it are three slides of Nami's blood. The one on the far right is black. "It seems to have deadly qualities when introduced to the bloodstream. Look at what it did." She carefully places the slide on the microscope and the crew takes turns looking at it.

Usopp shivers. "That doesn't look healthy. I think I'm coming down with the I-Shouldn't-Be-Near-Poisons disease."

"It ruptured and decayed the blood cells," Chopper confirms. "I was taught about this plant, but it's supposed to be extinct."

"We were on an island trapped in the prehistoric age," Sanji explains. "It's where Nami got infected."

Chopper looks at the sheet of plastic as Karmen slaps Luffy away from her bottles of snake venom. "What else?"

Karmen shows him the other two slides. Extinct. Rare. Extinct. The plant in the first jar, sunblade root, would make a target's immune system attack the body, causing them to feel like they were on fire, giving them fever, symptoms of heat stroke, extreme pain, and eventually organ failure. The middle plant, deadbolt vine, locked the cells together, causing paralysis, anxiety, eventual madness, and slow death by asphyxiation after several hours. The third plant, Plucharon, congealed and ruptured the blood, decayed the nerves and tissues, caused rapid organ failure, and kills the victim within twelve hours.

Karmen quickly takes the third jar and locks it in a cabinet with the related extracts. She removes her gloves and drops them into a cleaning solution. "What about these?" she asks, motioning to the previously discarded plants. "They don't affect the blood, so I put them aside for the time being."

Chopper identifies a plant that's oils could blind someone for a week, one that made people sleepy when introduced to the bloodstream, and one that caused the sensation of bugs crawling over a person's skin when ingested. He asked to take some of the flowers, saying they can be used as medicines, and agreed to help her make perfume out of the others. Then he notices a few leaves that are still in the basket. "That plant…" He takes one and bites into it. Half the crew jumps, sure he'll drop dead at any second. He closes his eyes and spins in a happy circle. "This is related to lemon balm. It tastes like lemon candy." Everyone picks up a leaf and takes a bite.

"I can put this in my caapi tea to make it less bitter," Karmen says. Examining her basket, she turns to Usopp. "Did you realize you wove this completely out of deadbolt vine?"

"I did? I mean I did! I, Captain Usopp, remembered you were looking for a paralytic. Thanks to my careful plant knowledge and planning you now have enough to last you a year."

"Wow, Usopp," admires Chopper. "You thought of all that? You're amazing!"

"That's one word for it," Nami sighs. "Did you also wonder if contact between that and the leaves we just put in our mouths are going to have any adverse effects?"

Karmen and Chopper stiffen and everyone looks at the basket in her hands. "Say, Chopper. Be a deer and help me make that antidote real quick, would you?"


	13. Chapter 13: The Dance of Death

[Author's note: 1. My birthday is this week, so I thought I'd share it with you all and post an extra chapter. Enjoy!

2\. Several of the trainings that Karmen starts are continued throughout the story, but never mentioned again until their use becomes relevant. I will try to be better about that, but some things do not come into play for several chapters, and therefore, several months. I will go through what I have already written and try to give reference notes.]

Karmen watches Zoro lifting his 500 kg weights with Chopper and Vivi. "Not that I mind, but don't you guys have something else to do?" he asks as he swings the pole again. "2,673."

"Not really," Chopper admits. Vivi shakes her head but turns her attention to the ocean politely.

Karmen lies back on the deck and watches Usopp fishing. "Hey Usopp, can you set me up a sandbag's course?"

Usopp and the other crew members blink at her. "A what?"

He was still confused as he set it up for her, hanging small sandbags and pulleys from the ceiling in the storeroom. "So you want us to throw these at you and you're going to try to dodge them?"

"And hit them, or stab them, or whatever I manage."

"I used to do the same thing with giant logs," Zoro comments.

"Not all of us are insane," Nami murmurs. "But this is a great way to practice fighting skills. I may give it a try when you're done."

"Me first!" Luffy grabs a sandbag and chunks it hard. Karmen ducks as it zooms overhead, bursting open against the far wall. "Oops."

"Luffy, why don't you wait until I've had a bit of a warm up," she persuades. He agrees without hesitation and the crew sighs with relief. "Ok. Don't go too easy on me, but half of you just need to tap them at me." Sanji gives a sandbag a gentle push and it lightly bumps her shoulder. "Use your feet, crap cook."

"Yes, madam crap secretary," he hums. She can't help but smile at him. Then a sandbag slams into her back, sending her sprawling.

"Sneak attack!" Zoro yells.

"Why you dirty-" Sanji stars, but Luffy's laughter cuts him off.

"He got you good!" Luffy laughs so hard he falls off the crate he had been perching on. Sanji was about to kick him in the head, but Karmen laughs as well.

"Yeah, I guess he did." She stands up and smooths her shirt. "Let's try that again." Vivi sits with Karoo on barrels as the crew scatters around the room to prepare attacks. Usopp pushes one with some force behind it and she dodges it easily. Nami goes next, trying to take her from the side, but Karmen spins under it. Sanji halfheartedly kicks one at her and she sidesteps it. "I know you guys can do better than that."

Zoro grins. "You asked for it." Three sandbags hit her at once. Once she steadies herself she waves for them to continue. They throw so many sandbags at her that she only dodges a third of them before she instinctually slides to the side and catches one in a thunder clap. She instantly swings herself into a reverse turn and dodges four bags at once.

"Now there's an idea," she purrs. She lock steps to avoid a bag that swings mere centimeters in front of her nose and does a high kick, pulling a gancho to capture one. That's when a bag slams into her side and her foot slips out from beneath her, knocking her flat on her back. "Right. I need different shoes."

"Shoes?" Sanji asks.

"These ones don't' slide very well," is the only explanation before she runs downstairs. When she returns she is wearing her red outfit which is now has sleeves that flare around her hands loosely pinned in place.

"I thought you went for shoes," Zoro says, raising an eyebrow.

"They didn't match. Besides, I want to try something." Karmen pins the veil to her hood. "If I do this right, I won't get hit nearly as much."

"I don't see what difference an outfit will make, but here we go." Sanji kicks over another sandbag. She jives under and quick steps around eight more bags. She falls into the splits as two bags collide over her head. Kick flipping up, she combines a foxtrot and a rumba to dodge her way through a larger barrage. She cha cha's under the next set of bags and sambas to block three that come at her from Zoro's position. Testing her balance without a dancing partner, she dips herself as a bag slides over her from Usopp. She lunges under some from Nami and pulls two quill pens out of the side of her boot.

Karmen finds that if she moved her arms and hips like a cha cha and rumba she can slice nearly all of the bags thrown her way and if she moves her feet to a quickstep at speed of a Charleston she can dodge all the rest. Using these newly applied techniques, she only gets hit by three bags. She incorporates the tango, flash step, and paso doble into her turns and ducks and finds herself actually enjoying this form of training. She dodges all but two of the next round.

She has done this all her life. And when she has the red veil over her face, she can be herself. Usopp yells, "Get her!" and nine sandbags come at her from all directions. She triple spins into a lunge, slicing each bag open as she descends. She ends with her left hand by her extended knee and her right arm curving forward. Luffy punches a sandbag towards her. She rolls under it, using the momentum to fling a quill and pin the bag where it explodes against the wall. She exhales in fierce control.

Unpinning the veil, she removes the quill from the wall. She turns and finds the crew slack jawed and wide eyed. "I've never seen anyone fight so… gracefully," Vivi admits.

"What…. was that?" Usopp asks as she lowers her hood.

Karmen holds a fist in front of her mouth and grabs a fistful of her skirts in embarrassment, mentally chastising herself for dancing in front of the crew _and_ the princess. "Rotten grape dodging," she lies. "Back home, when I was a kid, there were a group of boys who always tried to hit me with rotten grapes when I wore my best dresses. You can't hurt what you can't hit." She looks around the room and notices that only three bags remained unscathed. "Sorry, Nami. I guess I'll have to repair the bags before you can try."

"Do you have a name for that last move?" Nami asks.

"I think I'll call it the Scarlet Spiral."

"So changing clothes makes you fight better?" Luffy asks.

"Only if you associate muscle memory," Chopper says.

"Zoro! Let me wear your stomach scarf!"

"No!"

"Is that why you never eat anything with grapes in it?" Sanji asks.

"Partially," she admits. It isn't a complete lie with the location being the same. Back home there were rows and rows of grapes, and rotten ones meant bad things. "You guys go on ahead. I'll clean this up."

Sanji picks up a broom before she can get to the cleaning supplies. "It would go faster if we all helped. Besides, you'll get your lovely dress dirty." Karmen brushes an inch of sand off her shoulder. Her dress is already filthy. She shakes out her skirts and makes an attempt to help anyway. Zoro grabs three brooms, setting one in his teeth. Nami picks up one and holds it like a staff. Before she can move, all the sand on the floor is swept into a neat pile. Usopp and Chopper scoop it into a box while Luffy washes the floor. "Now we can all go relax on the deck."

Karmen laughs. "You guys barely let me clean anymore. I'll join you in a second. I'm going to go change back."

They leave her and the door swings shut behind them. Through the porthole window in the door, Zoro sees her turn graceful circles across the polished floor.


	14. Chapter 14: Medical Nightmare

Chopper watches Karmen lean over the bulwark for the tenth time in an hour. "Does it always get this bad?"

Karmen, looking pretty green, smiles grudgingly. "Only when I increase the dose." She grasps the railing and wills herself not to throw up.

"I have some Sparine. It should help with the nausea."

"That sounds lovely." She sits on her knees, relieved, while he goes to fetch his bag. Karmen takes the medicine and sighs. "Training always makes me feel weak. I think I'll just sleep it off and let the medicine work." She shuffles inside and goes down to bed.

Fifteen minutes later a piercing shriek sounds below deck and doesn't stop. "Not again." Usopp abandons his tools where they land and races downstairs before the rest of the crew can react. "She hasn't had a nightmare like this in a year. Why now?"

He bursts through the door of the women's quarters and the rest of the crew pours in after him. They find Karmen sitting up in bed with her back against the wall, clutching a knife. Her posture is defensive and her eyes are distant and wild, as if she is seeing something else in front of her entirely. 'She's having a bad reaction to the medicine I gave her," Chopper realizes. "She's not aware of her actions right now."

"Medicine?" Sanji glances at the reindeer.

"Where'd she get the knife?" Luffy asks.

"Maybe we should take her down?" Zoro suggests.

"Try talking her down first, you idiot!" Nami yells.

Karmen's screams quiet to sobs as she begins to realize she's not alone. The point of her knife dances violently as her body shakes. Usopp takes a careful step forward. "Karmen? It's me, Captain Usopp. You recognize me don't you? You had a nightmare again, but it's over now. I'm just going to take the knife and we can go have a nice cup of tea, ok?"

"Stay back!" She points the knife at him but her eyes stare past him as she breaks out into a cold sweat. "Please just stop. I don't want to hurt you."

Nami takes advantage of her momentary distraction. Unfolding her staff, she knocks the knife into the corner of the room with one clean motion. Karmen barely seems to register that the weapon is gone. Without it she looks like she's holding her hands in front of her to protect herself from an attack. Nami looks back to Chopper. "What do we do?"

"From what I can tell she's showing symptoms of confusion, hysteria, dizziness, dilated pupils, agitation, nightmares, and is currently mentally impaired. The best thing would be to restrain her until it wears off."

Determined, Usopp closes the distance to the bed. Karmen is still looking past him at an unseen threat so she yelps as he touches her hand and flinches away. He persists and is able to coax her into a standing position. Her eyes move frantically around the room, but her breathing levels out until she seems relatively calm. Usopp leads her through the small crowd of their wary crewmates. Zoro catches fresh tension in her legs seconds too late. "Usopp!"

Karmen rams her shoulder into his stomach, slamming him into the door frame. She runs upstairs before Usopp falls. Zoro jumps over where he lays gasping and follows. The others are only seconds behind. In the distance they can hear Karmen yelling the name "Godwin." They pull up short next to Zoro on the deck.

"Tell me that's not what I think it is," Sanji groans. Karmen stands in the doorway to the anchor room, the normally locked cabinet is open behind her. In her hand is a quill pen dripping with plant extract and a discarded bottle leaks liquid on the floor.

"The Plucharon," breathes Chopper. "She hasn't made an antidote for that one yet."

Karmen holds the quill defensively in front of her. "Don't hurt him! Please," she sobs. "Please don't make me do this."

"Hey! That's dangerous," calls Luffy.

"Stay back, Vivi." Nami places herself between the princess and the secretary.

"But she's scared," Vivi says. "We have to help her."

"We will," says Luffy.

"Hey, Curly Brow. Back me up for three seconds."

"Only because this is Karmen. She'd never forgive herself if she hurt one of us."

Zoro leaps forward and tackles Karmen. Her hand comes down to stab him in the back, but Sanji kicks the quill into the ocean, careful to avoid her fingers. "Rope!" both men yell as they pin her down.

In less than a minute Karmen is tied securely to the mast. She thrashes and kicks while screaming "Godwin" until she can only sob hoarsely. Zoro offers to knock her out but Sanji refuses to let anyone touch her after Chopper says it may only make things worse. Thirty minutes later as she finally exhausts herself they hear her whisper, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Chopper checks her pulse and sighs. "She finally passed out. It should be safe to untie her now."

Zoro cuts the rope and Usopp catches her. "Will she be ok?" Vivi asks.

Chopper feels her forehead to check her temperature. "The effects of the medicine caused some trauma from her past to resurface. With how she behaved, I doubt she'll remember any of what just happened. It's obviously a bad memory for her." Chopper motions that she is physically fine and they carry her to bed. "Let's just let her rest for now."

Nami looks at Usopp as he tucks the blankets around her. "You said she screamed like that every night when you first met her?"

He nods gravely. "She was never awake enough to talk, though, and she always kept things that could be used as a weapon away from her bed."

"It was exhausting just listening to her," Luffy sighs. "She must be tired. Sanji, make her lots of meat, ok?" Karoo cocks his head at the captain.

"When she wakes up I'll make her some chamomile tea with honey," Sanji responds. "Her throat is probably too sore to handle meat right now."

Usopp picks the knife up from the corner and looks at it for a long second. He contemplates removing it from the room, but puts it on her nightstand instead. "I'll stay with her until she wakes up."

* * *

"You had me scared for a little bit there. How do you feel?"

"Terrible," Karmen admits. Her voice is hoarse and cracks when she tries to talk too loudly. "What happened?"

"Chopper says you had a bad reaction to the medicine he gave you. It was worse than the nightmares you had back in the village."

Karmen takes inventory of her sore body and the rope burns on her arms. She gasps as she sees the knife on her bedside table. "Usopp, what did I do?"

Unwillingly, he retells the events of the last two hours. Her face falls with each new detail. Horrified, she jumps out of the bed and runs from the room. "Come back!" he calls. Then softer, "I wasn't finished."

She reaches the deck and bows before she can read anyone's face as they all look towards her. "I'm sorry," she croaks. "I caused a lot of problems for you all. Please forgive my actions." Usopp steps out onto the deck behind her.

"Karmen-," starts Nami, but a crying reindeer slams into the secretary before she can finish her sentence.

"Don't apologize," Chopper cries. "It was my fault. I knew that there was a possibility that that could happen but it's so rare that I didn't take precautions. I should have made sure you were ok before you went to bed."

"You did nothing wrong." Karmen pets the back of the doctor's head. "I'm sorry I made you worry. Thank you for being concerned. I'm fine now."

"That's a relief," Vivi says, smiling. Karoo quacks in agreement.

Sanji appears from behind her and hands Karmen a cup of warm tea. She thanks him, sipping it gratefully, but her hands still shake so badly that he has to take the cup back. Whether it's from the bad reaction or the bloodroot, she can't tell. "Is your foot ok?" she asks him. "Usopp told me that you kicked the quill out of my hand."

"Fine, fine." He smiles at her. "It didn't even scratch my shoe."

She finds Zoro's eye. "And your back?"

"Like you could ever cut it." He grins. "What about you? I tackle you a little harder than I meant to."

"A few bruised ribs are nothing," she says, returning the smile. "Thank you both for keeping me from hurting anyone. You too, Nami."

Nami shrugs and grins knowingly. "With how you were holding that knife you couldn't have hurt anyone too badly anyway." Karmen carefully takes the cup in both hands again and lets the herbs and honey soothe her throat.

Luffy leaps over from the ram's head. "So. Who's Godwin?"

The cup shatters in Karmen's hands as she stiffens from shock. "When did I…?" Her voice cracks and her whole body shakes.

Vivi punches the captain in the back of his head. "How insensitive can you be?!" She turns back to Karmen. "I'm sorry. It must be a painful memory for you. You screamed that name for half an hour, even after you lost your voice."

"I see." Karmen wobbles as if she may fall over. Usopp steadies her while Chopper starts picking glass out of her palms.

"You don't have to say anything," Sanji says softly.

"No. After the trouble I caused you at least deserve to know that much." She wipes her eyes with the back of her free hand. "Godwin was like a grandfather to me. He's the man who taught me how to make tea." She flinches Chopper starts disinfecting her hands. "A few years ago Godwin was shot and killed right in front of me and there was nothing I could do." She looks towards the nearly empty bottle rolling across the anchor room floor and her face slowly drains of emotion. "While I was working I kept wondering if I could have saved him if I had the same resources."

Usopp puts a hand on her shoulder. She covers it with her own. "You never told me about him. I'm sorry."

"I don't like talking about it." Chopper finishes tying the bandages. When he steps aside, Nami steps forward and gives her roommate a hug. Karmen returns it dry eyed. She has no more tears to cry. "Chopper, thank you again for taking care of me and trying to help earlier. I think I'll just deal with the nausea next time, though. I'm going to go lie down."

She lets Usopp lead her back to bed. "When it happened," he says softly, "did they hurt you?"

"Not physically." Karmen climbs under the blanket and faces the wall but does not sleep.

Things slowly return to normal on deck. Chopper cleans up the extract, saving as much as possible. Sanji takes Karmen more tea, but finds it cold and untouched when he checks on her hours later. He returns to the deck, finding Zoro in a quiet section of the ship. He leans against the bulwark and lights a cigarette. "What do you think?" the swordsman asks.

"I'm surprised someone as dull as you picked up on that." He takes a long drag and exhales.

"I've seen faces like that before," Zoro says, thinking back to when he hunted bounties for meal money. "There's something… broken."

"It's frustrating. As a man, I want to protect her, but there's no obvious threat." Sanji exhales more smoke. "There's more to it than she's saying, but we shouldn't push her for now. It would be bad for her health."

"Then do me a favor. Let's keep this between us for a while."

"I think I can agree to that."


	15. Chapter 15: The Unraveling Threads

_Valentine's Personal Log 15: Mr. 2 and Fathers_

 _We met a swanlike drag queen named Mr. 2 Bon Clay today. The guys were fishing since Luffy ate all the food and they managed to catch him instead. He ate the clone-clone fruit and could copy any face he had touched. I was up in the crow's nest, so he didn't touch mine. I'd been trying to distance myself a little since the events of the other day and did not feel up to greeting our guest. He was entertaining the crew by showing them the faces he had collected. Vivi and I recognized her father's face right away. Nefertari Cobra, the benevolent king of Alabasta._

 _Later when I had the chance, and Bon Clay was gone, I asked Vivi about her father. I had heard great things about him, but I had never seen him speak. She talked about how much he cared for his people and for her. How he was rarely angry and always saw into the hearts of the people. I found myself asking, "And you have a good relationship with him, even though he has a whole kingdom on his plate?" She smiled and said that her father always found time for her and made sure she was taken care of and happy. When I tried to think of someone like that I thought of Godwin and... maybe it's best if I don't write his name._

 _Zoro came up with the brilliant idea to put matching marks on our left forearms and called me down. I had never put ink on people before, but if we can tell who the enemy is, we can stay together. I was halfway through tattooing myself before he clarified that we were only supposed to draw them on. I finished the tattoo, a little embarrassed. As I was putting the final details into my own arm I stared looked at it for a long time, thinking, this makes it official. I, Valentine W. Karmen, am a Straw Hat pirate aboard the Going Merry. I was filled with pride and fear. Father will definitely be angry if he ever sees it. I'm afraid it may also be a sign that I will bring trouble on the crew. Luffy called it a sign of our friendship. I found myself looking at Vivi's arm while I bandaged my own. No matter what happens in the next few days or what happens when I uphold my promise, I will have a friend in Alabasta._

 _We hid Merry in a small cove and I quickly changed into the red outfit. I spent last night sewing sleeves on it and Usopp helped me make a wrist harness that holds bottles. The sleeve hides it really well. I took the deadbolt and the sunblade extracts and their antidotes. I haven't been able to bring myself back to the Plucharon, so it doesn't have one. I made sure there were several extra bottles of reversing agents in my bag before tucking quills into my belt. At this point I hadn't had a chance to make the perfume that I promised, so I told Vivi that I would finish it before we got to the next town._

 _Zoro asked if I had an ex-boyfriend here too. I told him that Bon Clay hadn't seen my face and it might come in handy if he doesn't. He still doesn't know I'm part of the crew. I stuffed the logs and extra ink in my bag. We agreed that I should walk a ways behind the main group so that I could see and poison anyone who was following us. Usopp asked me if I was ready to use my newfound skills in a test battle, if not a real one. I guess we'll find out._

 _Staying a ways away I noticed that Sanji bought Nami and Vivi dancer's outfits… to cross a desert in… I'm glad I dressed myself. It seems Captain Smoker and his Sergeant are here so I ducked into a crowd outside a restaurant. I tried to wave down the crew, but they were distracted. I overheard people talking about the desert strawberry, a poisonous fruit shaped spider that kill people instantly without any symptoms beforehand. I didn't see the apparent victim, but the story intrigued._

 _The Navy started chasing Luffy and the crew soon after. I gave Nami a little wave, indicating I'd catch up by a different route. We set sail to avoid detection and Fire-Fist Portgaz D. Ace, Luffy's elder brother and 2_ _nd_ _division leader of the Whitebeard pirates showed up. He thanked us all for taking care of the captain for him. The guy's pretty cool. He took out five Baroque Works ships with a single punch of his Flame-Flame devil fruit powers. He gave Luffy a vivre card and went on his way. I haven't seen one of those papers in two years. I wish I had one from home, but I have to remind myself that those things work in reverse as well. I can't have people tracking me or I won't be able to keep my promise. We should get to the New World eventually. Maybe I should start saving fingernail clippings._

 _I kind of wish I had dropped my veil while Ace was with us, thinking that being able to recognize all the crew members could be handy in the future. Considering that I should be able to trust the captain's brother, and being the captain's brother he probably wouldn't have cared who I was anyway, so it was a small gamble to avoid. In the end, however, I figured the fewer people who see my face the better._

 _While we were traveling, Vivi tried to discourage me from looking for these desert strawberry spiders, but poisoner's instincts have taken root in me and I wanted that arachnid. Zoro laughed at my ambition, saying that if I didn't kill myself first I was going to become a dangerous woman. Usopp laughed with him and said that I already was. I smiled and twirled a pen but decided that the ship had enough splinters in the walls. Instead I asked Luffy if the sunblade root would work on Ace, since he was on fire already. Usopp chastised me for even considering testing poisons on the captain's brother._

 _I had Chopper help me finish the perfume. We made the scent subtle so he wouldn't be bothered by the smell. Sanji said this made it more sensual and intimate. Both Nami and Vivi loved it. Vivi later asked me for some paper so that she could send her father a message through Karoo. Apparently he's the fastest duck in the kingdom. I found myself wishing I could ride on his back at least once when he could show his true skill. Watching him leave, I knew it wouldn't be long before I needed to write my father as well._

* * *

 _Ship's Log 15: The Desert_

 _Vivi told us how Crocodile framed King Cobra by planting dance powder, which summons rain, in the palace. The powder robs neighboring areas of much needed rain and the country has had a three year drought. There are also savage sandstorms that hit various towns on a daily basis. These weather patterns are out of the ordinary, even in the Grand Line. Knowing that Crocodile can control sand, I don't know how no one in this kingdom suspected him before. Maybe they eliminated anyone who raised questions. After a few discussions and a few punches, Luffy decided we should go straight for Crocodile and we ended up heading North to his Rainbase casino._ _Sanji decided to go by the codename Prince to avoid detection. I simply requested to be called Secretary. Smoker was in town when we got there. That guy is persistent. The Navy started chasing the crew and I hid in a watching crowd to see if I could be useful later._

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 16: The Battle Rising_

 _The captain's gone and drawn the enemy's attention again, which in this case was convenient for me. I trust they can handle themselves. I gave a nod to Sanji and Chopper, saying I'm nearby if needed. This may be the perfect time to try out the deadbolt and sunblade root. I was concerned for Vivi, but I saw Pell, a member of the royal guard who ate the Bird-Bird Zoan-type devil fruit, fly overhead in falcon form. She'll be safe with her own people. I seem to have my own problems._

 _Out of all the people to come across in this kingdom I saw someone who might actually recognize me. I signaled Sanji to go on without me and snuck inside to assess the situation. From what I could tell, despite the number 6 plastered all over him, the person was just there to gamble. My earlier thoughts were brought to the forefront of my mind. There could be covert agents in Baroque Works that work for the people I'm trying to avoid. This man is definitely one of them. The question is, is he here because of me or is he just another of Crocodile's flunkies? The smell of wine in the room nauseated me so I made my way casually to the door. Luckily he was distracted by Crocodile showing up and I slipped outside before either got a good look at me. Sanji signaled that he had things covered, so I stayed put at the edge of the lake and let the combined distractions unfold and simply observed. I should have watched Crocodile's movements or tried to find a way to help Sanji, but I couldn't take my eyes off that man. On a side note, I've gotten really good at writing standing up, on land at least._

 _Vivi was in the casino. I guess Pell was defeated. I kept watching for my target through the window while the others went downstairs to retrieve the crew. More than anything I wanted to find out what he knows. After all the explosions and the unconscious banana gators, the crew came back all together. When they told me that Mr. 3 had shown up and they had forced him to unlock a sea prism cage I nearly lost it. That man made me lose some expensive shoes in Little Garden and I've been keeping my eye out for sea prism. If we weren't in such a rush I would have swum down and got both._

 _Unfortunately they brought Smoker back with them. I was so worked up over the shoes that I didn't notice him until I could be clearly associated with the crew. He still hasn't seen my face, but he knows I'm here. I gave him a polite bow and asked if he would like some tea. He got up and started arguing with Zoro over the captain's order to save his life. I guess it's a good thing he didn't say yes. All I have on me is my dosed thermos. I should get better about being able to make tea on demand. I asked him if he had any sea prism I could have and he just stared at Luffy._

 _The Navy showed up so we ran. I lost sight of that person with the 6's, but maybe it's for the best. I'm not the run up and demand-answers-with-punches type like Luffy and any interrogation I were to perform now would leave me answering a few questions myself. Besides, we have a civil war to stop. I just hope the news of another Straw Hat doesn't spread too quickly via the smokey grapevine. It would be better for the crew if the Navy associated me with Vivi instead. I tried to think back to the many stories I told my father through the letters. I had to include a little truth sometimes or he would get suspicious, but I never mentioned the crew. I always said "My few friends." Hopefully he hasn't found a believable thread and is pulling to see if it unravels._

 _Chopper found a crab for us to ride, and Luffy stayed behind to fight Crocodile, so I decided to stop and write while I had the chance. It was also a perfect time to get my daily dose in. Though I dropped my veil, I made sure to always have my cup in front of my face. With a sighting like that I can't take chances on being recognized, especially when we need to focus on saving Alabasta. I won't let my personal problems ruin a country. Especially not Vivi's._

 _I may have to write much later. We're headed for a river and Vivi says these crabs hate water. I really need to get some plastic to put the log books in or a waterproof bag._


	16. Chapter 16: Mr 6

[Author's Note: This chapter alternates between log and real time. It's a little hard to differentiate, but just remember that the logs are italicized. I felt the line breaks were too disruptive for the constant switching.]

 _Ship's Log 16: Battle at Alubarna_

 _We formulated our plan on the way to Alubarna. I rode on one with Chopper on the back of a supersonic fighting duck until we got close, slipping off the back so he could go fight and watched the several white cloaks fan out to give Vivi a chance stop the rebels and royal army from fighting. I let them distract the Baroque Works agents and kept my eyes open. I made sure to tell everyone to stay in one piece, giving the men a good glare. They don't know how hard it is to wash blood out of clothing._

 _Nami and Zoro faced off with Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger. Sanji ended up facing Mr. 2. Chopper and Usopp stood against Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas, who had kidnapped the king. Vivi ran to stop the rebels. I hung amongst the rocks and looked for an opening. I'm no use against trained fighters, even if I can dodge._

Seeing that everyone's plans had gotten Vivi into the city, Karmen decides to make her move as well. She begins looking for a way into the city that doesn't ring with the sound of swords and rifles. She moves around the walls to the North. Karmen rounds the city and peers up at the abandoned Northern gate. She is about to go up the stairs when she feels a tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me, miss. I was wondering if you've seen this woman?"

She spins around and sees an old picture of herself. She wears fine silks and expensive jewels and her hair is banded up in a layered braid that's twisted atop her head. She follows the picture to a hand, wearing a family signet ring with a Neptunian eel crushing a cargo ship inside the letter "G", and up the arm to find the man from the casino. He has dark, stringy hair with a silk jacket and a bulbous ascot pinned with a broach engraved with the number 6. She had been right to take precautions. "You shouldn't sneak up on a girl. Who is that?" She asks, much calmer than she feels. "And why are you asking me this now? Can't you see there's a battle going on?" She looks into the man's dark eyes and preps a quill under the guise of a fist on her hip.

"Right. This may not be the best time for it, but it is of utmost importance that she is located. I saw your dress and thought maybe you had been out West and may have some information."

"This?" She lifts her skirt slightly. "I saw it in a magazine and made it myself. I've never been further West than Yuba. I'm just a secretary after all."

"I see. My mistake," the man chuckles. "You wouldn't happen to know where I might find a woman such as this, though, would you?"

"Crocodile has a casino a few towns over. Maybe she's enjoying herself there."

"I just came from there. I didn't see her."

"Have you tried a hairdresser? A woman like that would be the gossip of the town." Karmen smirks under her veil. She hadn't had her hair cut in a year and a half other than when she personally cut her bangs. He wouldn't find any evidence except plenty of meaningless gossip in any salon. "Anyway. I'm looking for someone myself and if I'm going to avoid the fighting I should be on my way. Good luck finding whoever she is."

Karmen turns, making sure to keep the quill out of sight as she slips it into her sleeve and dips it in a bottle of plant extract strapped to her wrist harness. She keeps her hands folded so that the fabric blocks all view of her action. She takes careful steps up to the gate and peeks inside.

The man behind her laughs. "Would the people you're looking for happen to be those pirates you were with earlier? Odd company for someone like you, isn't it, Karmen?" She freezes mid-step. "Your accent gives you away, child."

She senses his approach and slashes her pen behind her, slicing his palm. While he recoils from the pain he lands a few sharp kicks to her back. She darts inside the gate and down an ally. A giant explosion at the South gate gives her cover enough to hide and come up with a plan. Of course her fashion sense and accent would be the things to give her away.

 _Usopp and Chopper used their combined intellect, trickery, and fighting prowess to defeat the mole woman and the heavy hitter with a devil fruit infused gun. They survived with just a few burns and broken bones. Mr. 2 gave Sanji some trouble since he kept turning into Nami, but he used his cunning to win the fight. He too, suffered broken bones._

"Haven't you been gone long enough? You have things you need to take responsibility for, child." She can hear him walking the streets over the sound of her own heart beating. She chastises herself for not bringing the plant extract that blinds people. "We can't let it be known that you've been running around with such rabble. We'll say they kidnapped you and have them executed quietly."

How much longer? Though she'd performed scratch tests on herself she hadn't tested the delay on a moving person. Just a little longer. She might as well get information while she waits. Karmen steps out into the street, quill poised. "Executed, you say? Don't make me laugh." Another explosion sounds from somewhere in the city. "Do you understand what's happening here? That crew is spread throughout the city, taking on people a lot scarier than you."

The man chuckles at her. "It's not me you should worry about. It's the owner of this ring."

"That ring means nothing to me," she spits. "The captain said he would take out Crocodile, and Vivi said she would save this country. I believe in them and they've been good to me while I've been with them. Do you hear me? What do you really know about me? I have friends who can take down warlords and have other warlords on my side. I've made friends in neighboring countries who would die to protect what they care about. I can't just sit around while they put everything on the line. The least I can do is make sure they never have to see your face."

"That's big talk for a child like you. Your father made sure you never had to fight and you never had to work too hard. What good are you against someone with my level of training?" The man cocks a gun and points it at her. "Now be a good girl and go to sleep for a while. We have a long ways to go before I get my paycheck."

He shoots at her and she attempts to spin out of the way. A sharp needle grazes her cheek and rips the bottom half of her veil. "Tranquilizers?!" Her cheek goes numb almost immediately and the vision in her right eye goes blurry. She throws a quill at him and it grazes his shoulder. "Can't we just talk this out over some tea?"

 _Zoro was able to finish the man who ate the Dice-Dice devil fruit and could turn any part of his body into a blade, despite having a building dropped on him and being slashed all to pieces. He proudly reported that he was now strong enough to cut steel. I think it might be a form of Haki. Nami used her clima-tact, a three part climate changing staff made by Usopp, to defeat the woman with Spike-Spike powers. She came off the battlefield pierced in several places._

Two darts land in Karmen's right shoulder blade before she can dodge the next attack. Three. Four.

"Why isn't this working on you?" the man growls.

"I think that's what I'm supposed to be asking," she says, breathing hard. It has been what, ten, fifteen minutes since the first slash? She'd hit him twice since then and nothing was working. She had diluted the extract so it wouldn't be lethal, but perhaps she had diluted it too well. "It's got to work." Otherwise she would be in trouble. "You'd better hope it takes a long time to get back. Daddy will kill you if he sees me punched full of holes."

"Ah, so you've resigned to your fate?"

She grips three fresh quills in her teeth as her right arm goes numb. "Not in the slightest. I have a promise to keep."

"Oh? A promise to who exactly?"

"Myself." Karmen uses her teeth to dip two of the three quill pens into deadbolt and grasps them in her left hand. "I can't let myself get caught here." Already she can't feel her right side. "I'm going to end this."

"Works for me. My arm is stiff from holding the reins all the way over here." He aims his pistol at her again as she gives half a smirk. There it is.

"Let's see who can dodge, better, eh?" Her words are starting to slur and she's bitten her tongue at some point, probably when her shoulder was shot so many times, but she can't feel it. She just notices a thin stream of blood dripping from her chin. She leaps and he shoots. She hears fabric ripping and there's a shock of pain, but she ignores it. Her shoulder makes contact with the ground and she rolls up and stabs all three quills into the man's stomach. "Burning Cage!" She adjusts her hold and pushes them in deeper. She feels him stiffen and he falls to his knees.

"What did you do?"

"Do you know what I've been doing since I left, bounty hunter? I've been studying poisons. Two of those were a rare paralytic. The other was the sunblade root. You can feel it already, can't you? Like you're on fire? I'm probably the only person in this country who has the antidote to it. So while your jaw still moves and we can both form coherent words, why don't you tell me your orders and everything that's happened since I've been gone?"

 _Everyone met up at the palace where Crocodile was putting the finishing touches on his plan. Vivi had fought valiantly and the king and his men suffered greatly. Luffy had received a horrible wound in his first fight with Crocodile, but by covering himself in water he could finally land some punches. The crew was notified that a bomb would be shot into the square and split up to search for it. Nico Robin, Miss All Sunday, forced the king to show her to an ancient stone called a poneglyph. Luffy's dumb luck came into play again. Crocodile dried him out but the captain shot off some water right before. It came down and allowed him to recover._

"I see." The man in front of her lets himself scream painfully, no longer able to speak for long. Karmen sits back and takes two bottles off her wrist with her teeth. "As promised, here's the antidote. Keep that big mouth of yours open so I don't waste it." She drops some of each onto the man's tongue. "This isn't easy to do with one hand, you know. That should start to work within thirty minutes. Try not to deafen anyone until then."

He gains control of himself long enough to call her a nasty name.

Standing shakily, she makes her way to a crate to inspect her leg. Her skirt is torn and there is a fresh gash running the length of her thigh. Sighing, she tears her skirt the rest of the way down to the bottom and rips off some fabric to bind her leg. This was going to be a difficult walk to the palace.

Already losing function of the other side of her mouth, she writes a careful note with her left hand which ends up hard to read. Finding an abandoned broom, she flips it upside down and uses it as a crutch. For not being able to feel them, the guy's attacks could be such a pain.

 _Luffy followed Crocodile and Robin to the poneglyph chamber and finished off the warlord, saving both Cobra and Robin. Crocodile used a poisoned hook but Robin had the antidote and gave it to the captain. The bombers, Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day, were in the clock tower. Vivi was thrown to the top and she was able to cut the fuse. There was a second detonator and Pell flew away with the bomb to save everyone. The sudden explosion blew the sand away and caused a change in the atmosphere that allowed it to rain and quell the fighting once Crocodile was gone._

 _When everything had settled, the uninjured Igaram strode through the carrying a boy who saw the misconducts of Baroque Works. Both sides were explained. The crew was found passed out in the streets and taken to the palace to be treated._

A man in a royal guard's uniform carries an unconscious woman through the palace gates. The skirt of her red dress is badly torn and some of it has been used as bandages for her bloody leg. The man carries four tranquilizer darts in his hand that he had pulled from her shoulder. Her hood is still in place, but her veil is nearly nonexistent on the right side of her face where she was recently bleeding. Her left arm hangs loosely, but her hand is clenched and dripping with liquid from open bottles strapped to her wrist. Vivi runs up to the guard. "What happened?"

He adjusts his grip to hold up a piece of paper. "Some of the men found her passed out in the street. We thought she was a citizen who got caught in the crossfire at first because there was a broom next to her, but then we found this."

Vivi unfolds the note and reads:

Name: Secretary.

Fought Baroque Agent, Mr. 6.

If found, please return me to Princess Vivi.

Tranked. Just need to sleep it off.

Tell the crew I won.

PS: Don't touch my left hand.

Vivi tears off the hood of her own cloak and ties it carefully around Karmen's left hand. "Get her inside right away."

As the guard lays her on a bed in the medical ward a reindeer flies out of another. "Karmen! What happened to her? Someone get a doctor!"

"Aren't you a doctor?" Vivi asks.

"Oh. Right."

"She left a note saying she'd been tranquilized by a numbered agent. I'm told these were in her shoulder."

Vivi hands Chopper the darts. He sniffs and tastes them carefully, then examines them under a microscope. "She should wake up in a few hours," he finally decides. Examining her closely, he makes his way to her hand. He carefully removes the binding and harness with forceps before soaking her hand in water to remove the toxins. That's when he notices a sharp, thin gash just below her knuckles. He tries to open her hand to treat it, but her fingers don't budge. "This wound was self-inflicted. She used the deadbolt to make sure she didn't let go of something. I'll find the antidotes."

"Wait, Chopper." Vivi shows him the note. "Do you think she meant we shouldn't get rid of the poison?"

"But the sunblade got into her wound too! She'll be in terrible pain when she wakes up."

"The soldiers said she walked halfway here using a broom as a crutch. She had time to use the antidotes if she had wanted to." Vivi holds Choppers shoulders and looks him in the eye. "Whatever's in her hand is so important to her that she'd rather suffer than let anyone see what it is, do you understand?" Chopper's lip quivers, but he nods. Vivi straightens. "Doctors! Help Chopper treat this woman's wounds, but do not, under any circumstances, touch her left hand."

Across the room a swordsman and a cook exchange a look.


	17. Chapter 17: Inner Strength

Karmen wakes in the castle's hospital wing as the sun begins to set. She is the only member of the crew still being treated after the battle with Baroque Works, but there are plenty of soldiers. She feels stitches in her thigh where Mr. 6's tranquilizer dart had ripped a gash and bandages around her torso. She is relieved to find that she cannot move her left hand, which she had paralyzed with deadbolt, even though it feels like it is on fire. She breathes through her nose, not trusting herself not to scream in agony if she opens her mouth. Someone had put her in a green dress, soft enough to fit a princess, that's cut just right to cover her injuries. Something tells her it belongs to Vivi. Her hair is down. It had been washed and combed and treated with excellent product. She can tell just by the scent.

"Karmen! I was worried about you!" She turns her head to look at Chopper. "The tranquilizer that man used was made from the red poppy, a close relative to bloodroot. If you hadn't built up a tolerance for it then you might have lost your fight. The sunblade got into the cut on your hand. I washed most of it off. Does it still hurt?" She gives a tight nod. "Do you want the antidote?" Her jaw clenches tighter as she debates with herself for just a moment before she shakes her head once. She reaches out her right hand and holds Chopper's hoof and gives a long blink in thanks. "Vivi figured it out from your note. If you feel like it, you can talk to one of us about it later." She gives him another long blink and touches the "X" tattoo on her left arm. "Everyone's fine. We have a room down the hall that they gave us to rest in." Karmen nods her head towards the door and manages a small smile. "Are you sure?" She nods. "Alright. Just ask a guard if you get lost, ok?" She nods again and watches him leave the wing. She notices two bottles sitting on the table next to her bed. She cracks the scab on her knuckle and rubs antidote into her bloodstream and waits for the pain to subside. When the sun starts to fade, she does the same with the other bottle.

The sun sets completely before she can feel her fingers again. She slips out of the hospital bed and makes her way through the palace. She finds what she's looking for on the first floor: a flaming lamp. Unclenching her stiff fingers, she removes and unfolds the damp wadded picture that Mr. 6 had shown her. Her left hand is still too cramped to tear the waxy paper, so she uses her teeth instead. She can barely lift her right hand far enough to throw the pieces into the fire. She watches until they burn into cinders.

"I see you're finally awake, Miss Secretary."

Karmen spins around to find King Cobra and Igaram in the hallway. She drops into a quick one handed curtsy. "Your majesty. I heard you were injured. Shouldn't you be resting?" She looks at Igaram. "And you're the mayor from Whiskey Peak. No. Vivi called you a squad captain. I'm glad you're alive."

"We're fine," says the king.

"It's nice to finally meet you, ma'am. The princess has informed me of your wonderful companionship aboard the ship." Igaram nods appreciatively towards her.

"I'm just a secretary," she says. "It was Vivi who was a pleasure to have with us. She is a wonderful woman. You both must be very proud."

"She grew stronger thanks to you and your crew," says Cobra. "If you're going to be up a while longer, would you like to join me in the garden? It's a little more private since all the guards out there are patrolling the walls."

Karmen stiffens, gripping the remaining object in her hand, but the king's gentle smile coaxes her to accept. They make their way outside and sit on a bench framed by mid-height desert flowers. Igaram stands a few feet away and faces them. "How long have you known?"

"Since I watched them take off your veil. I'm a king. It's my job to know the people."

"And what will you do with this information?" Her left hand tightens around the object.

"I've already done it," the king says. "I gave the order to a trusted few that anyone who attempts to reveal your identity will be imprisoned until you are gone."

Karmen stares up at the king, slack-jawed. Her hand relaxes. "You aren't going to send me back? Even though you know? If word spreads it will only mean trouble for you."

"Alabasta is a strong kingdom and I have my own sway with the government. So long as you're happy where you are and travel under your own free will I see no reason to change your course."

Karmen holds up the gold ring that she took off of Mr. 6. Her left hand still spasms from the toxins in her system. "The crew doesn't know. I have confidence in their strength, and I like them very much, but I may just cause them more trouble. Am I doing the right thing by staying with them?"

"You just watched them save a country and you're still asking that?" Igaram asks.

Karmen looks out at the desert to the west. "Crocodile was the weakest of the warlords and my homeland is nothing like this kingdom. Our kings and authorities are not kind like you. I know the crew is strong, and I've watched them get stronger, but I keep wondering if they'll be strong enough to face what I know is waiting for us. The man that I fought today knew who I was. He had orders to take me back. I left him alive, even though I knew he'd tell them where I am. I had hoped to stay hidden for a little while longer. I'm too weak to save anyone as I am now."

"You left him alive because you had confidence in yourself and your crew. If you were truly weak, you would have killed him on the spot. You grew stronger so that you can help them face what lies ahead, didn't you? You've proven that strength in battle today." Karmen stares up at the king. "Hold that feeling in your heart, and you will grow to be strong enough to protect what you hold dear. When you are ready to tell them the truth, I feel they will help you with any hardship you have to bear."

Karmen looks at the king for a long time. "Nefertiti Cobra, you are a wise man, fit to rule any country. Vivi is lucky to have you as a father."

Both men smile at her. "What was the name you go by now?"

"Valentine W. Karmen."

"Then, Miss Valentine, know that you always have a place here in Alabasta."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

Cobra shows Karmen to the room where the rest of the crew are sound asleep. Vivi sits in a chair by the window. Karmen gives her a warm smile. "Thank you for everything."

* * *

Cold Comfort

Karmen stand in front of the rest of the crew with her arms crossed. "I tell you guys to do one thing for me and look at you all! If you're not stabbed there's something broken."

"We're sorry," they reply together.

"You're lucky Vivi's taken care of your clothing! I don't have the fabric to patch up all holes you came back with. And you!" She points an accusing finger at Zoro. "Are your stomach and back the only things you protect? That bandana and stomach scarf were the only things salvageable!"

"What about your dress?" Zoro asks defensively. "You just finished it and you let it get shredded."

A dark gloom settles over Karmen as she picks up the remains of her beloved outfit. "It can be salvaged… somehow. The rip up the skirt adds mobility. I'll figure something out."

"Now look at what you've done you crap swordsman!" Sanji yells.

"I'm just saying that she can't be left out of this. They had to stitch her up too."

"I'm not insanely strong like you guys are. Thanks to my training it took six tranquilizer darts to take me down. Making it out of my first real fight with just a few stitches should be acceptable."

"Of course it is, sweet Karmen," Sanji sighs happily. "Yell at me as much as you like. It's only further proof that you care."

Karmen ignores him and turns to Luffy. "And you! You nearly get yourself killed by a guy who uses scorpion venom _and_ get an antidote and you don't bring me samples of either?" She smacks the captain over his rubber head with the ship's log. "At least wake up when someone is yelling at you!" Unphased, Luffy snores on.

Another muscle spasm shoots through Karmen and she's forced to sit on the nearest bed, log book clattering to the floor. She holds her left wrist and leans over it until the shaking stops. She rubs her right leg absentmindedly as control returns. "You're not recovered yet either!" Chopper says. "You need to rest until the deadbolt and tranquilizers are out of your system."

Nami picks up the logbook and sets it on the bed next to Karmen. "I get it," she says smiling. "You won't have any adventures to write about if we're all stuck in bed recovering."

"And we can't enjoy your tea if we're too bandaged up to hold a cup," Usopp comments.

Karmen smiles over at her crew, touching the tattoo on her arm. "Everyone, let's get stronger together."

They all agree heartily.

* * *

 _[After the men peek into the women's bath]_

Sanji finds Karmen on the roof. "I'm not going to convince Nami to drop the 100,000 berries you owe her for peeking, if that's what you're here to ask. I have half a mind to charge you myself. Why is Zoro the only one of you with any sense when it comes to things like that?" She looks over her shoulder at him as he lights a cigarette.

"Those bruises on your back looked painful."

"I was shot four times at close range, what did you expect?"

"I was talking about the dark black boot prints."

Karmen places a hand on her shoulder. "I gave him a good dose of sunblade, so we're even."

"If you hurt just say so." His voice is firm, but not demanding. "Men like us suck it up and say it's not so bad because it's a matter of pride and makes us look cool. But women like you, Nami, and Vivi have a special gift. You can show how strong you are through vulnerability. Even when you're weak from drinking poison you still care and clean for us without complaint. Let us take care of you every once in a while. It'll make us feel useful."

"You all are plenty useful," Karmen responds, trying not to let on how many bad memories that word brings up for her. With the people who sent the bounty hunter after her you were either useful or dead. "You cook _and_ protect. I'm just getting started."

"But you have started." He takes another drag. "Why not sit back and let us take care of the heavy lifting for a few days until you're better?"

She sighs and tests the mobility of her right arm, finding that she still can't lift it more than a few inches above shoulder level. "I think I may be able to manage that. Thank you, Sanji." She turns to go back downstairs. "And Sanji, women hurt _because_ they care. I hurt plenty."

Sanji smiles. "I feel useful already."

When Karmen returns to the room Nami points to a local newspaper. "Igaram said there was an article you should see. He left it open to it."

Karmen picks up the paper and begins to read with growing horror. "How awful."

"What is it?" Luffy asks.

"That guy that I fought, Mr. 6. Apparently he ate a desert strawberry spider on his way to Alubarna the other day. He was found deceased hours after I left him. They searched his stomach and located the remains of the spider. He was dead before we even crossed toxins." Karmen silently thanks Igaram for letting her know that her secret is safe a little while longer. The only question is: Did he really take the time to stop to eat a strawberry or had he been deemed no longer useful?


	18. Chapter 18: What Little Birds Know

_Valentine's Personal Log 17: A Silent Goodbye_

 _Sanji wants me to take it easy until my back heals, so he had Luffy carry me out the window when we left the palace. Mr. 2 contacted us and said that he hid our ship upriver so the Navy wouldn't find it. For a "iffy" guy, as he calls himself, he can be thoughtful sometimes. We rode the supersonic ducks to meet him. I rode with Chopper again._

 _In our days of recovery, Vivi helped me mend my dress as best we could. I took fabric from the damaged right sleeve to make a new veil. There was just enough fabric left over to turn the sleeve into a glove. I feel a little lopsided, but my poisons harness is still hidden in the sleeve on the other side. The skirt has a permanent split now. It reminds me of the dance dresses I used to wear. We sewed in an under-skirt for style and I wear shorts so I can fight freely without giving Sanji a nosebleed._

 _Sanji set me up a table by the stairs and made sure I had plenty of tea before we set off, telling me no matter who we run into I was to stay put. Mr. 2 asked if he could add my face to his collection. I told him that if we ever met again he might get to peek beneath the veil._

 _The Navy surrounded us and started shooting giant iron spears into Merry._

"Are you sure I can't help?" Karmen asks. "At least let me help Chopper patch up the holes."

"You can't lift your arms above your head," Zoro comments. "How are you going to swing a hammer?"

"We'll deal with it, Karmen." Sanji gives her a confident smile.

"Ok, but if they sink _Merry_ I'm going to use the Plucharon and I'm not going to give them the antidote." She hadn't made the antidote yet so there wasn't one to give. She should get on that. Shrugging to herself, Karmen continues.

 _Usopp sunk two warships with one cannon ball and Captain Hina showed up. Bon Clay disguised himself as Luffy to draw the Navy away. I kind of wish I had shown him my face now. I don't think we'll see him for a while after this. He turned out to be a true friend. Once the navy caught on they sandwiched us between to ships. The crew is currently fighting while I-_

Karmen stops writing briefly as one of the marines crashes into her table. She barely has time to lift the log book off of it and grab the ink before it collapses into splinters. Luffy grabs him and throws him back at the Navy ship. Karmen tucks the ink into her wrist harness and leans forward to stab a marine with a sunblade quill. She tucks a pouch of antidote into his pocket and kicks him towards Sanji.

Karmen gasps. "I didn't get a desert strawberry!"

"We're not going back for a spider!" Zoro yells.

 _\- am confined to this chair. I seem to be out of tea as well, thanks to those careless marines. The two ships around us have been sunk now, but we're still being followed. We can hear Vivi's heartfelt and poetic speech to the people being transmitted from speakers on the island. It's almost as if she's still on the ship. We saw her on shore a while later. She's staying for her people, but she's still our friend. We gave her a silent farewell by raising our left arms as a promise of our friendship before departing. Despite my fears, I'm proud of this tattoo._

 _Luffy returned all the iron spikes that had hit our ship, sinking the three closest warships. The men brought out the oars and gave us a good head start. I'm sure the navy will lose interest soon. We all miss Vivi, but right now we have other concerns. It seems the captain has collected another one. Nico Robin was aboard the ship and has been added to the crew. Only Sanji and Luffy are happy about it._

 _She uses terms like navigator, captain, and secretary. She doesn't say anyone's names. It's classic distancing technique that I know well. I used something similar the whole month before arriving at Syrup Village. Robin may be on this ship, but she doesn't consider herself a part of this crew._

Karmen hands everyone on the lower deck a cup of tea before carrying her tray to the upper deck where Zoro is watching Nico Robin carefully. He looks towards the two remaining glasses on the tray inquiringly as she hands him his but she shakes her head. Despite her reservations towards Robin, she couldn't bring herself to poison anyone without cause. She walks over to Robin and holds a cup out to her at arm length. "Ah, so you're the secretary. I never thought a face like that could be under that veil of yours."

Karmen's eyes narrow as the wind tousles her hair. "If you're coming with us then I can't keep my face covered the entire time. Are you saying you know me?" She asks this last part softly so her voice doesn't carry too far. She likes that saying it softer adds an icy edge to her words.

"I know you, but I don't care. What you do is your business."

"It seems like you've become my business." Karmen takes her own cup and tucks the tray under her arm, leaving one hand free to grab a quill if necessary. "Do what you want. But if you do anything to harm this crew, I'll poison your tea."

"How scary." Robin's face doesn't lose her smile. "Then you might like to have these." She hands Karmen two bottles labeled yellow-spotted scorpion venom and antidote. "You wanted to know what Crocodile used, didn't you?"

Karmen stares at the bottles, then up at Robin. "I see." She tucks the bottles into her pocket. "I don't trust you in the slightest, but I think we can make this work for now." She sips her tea and turns. "Oh, and stay away from my logs." Karmen notes Zoro's appreciative sigh. At least one of the crew shares his concerns.

* * *

A Tied Treaty  


Karmen sits in the crow's nest, sore shoulders wrapped in a shawl. Her body is still adjusting to being out of Alabasta's warm climate. Behind her Zoro is doing one-fingered push-ups from the tip of the flagpole. "1,543, 1,544, 1,545…"

"How's your vantage point?" She asks, scanning the horizon before peering down at the deck.

"1,546, just right, 1,547." His gaze is fixed on Robin where she sits with an open book. "What do you think?"

"Having a bounty on her head from the age of 8, she must have done something that scared some really important people. She keeps to herself because she's used to being on the run."

"1,559. What makes you think that? 1,560."

"Just a feeling." She looks over at the rest of the crew, focusing on Usopp who is doing some maintenance work to keep busy. "Does she worry you?"

"We can handle her. 1,563. She actually reminds me of you in some ways. 1,565."

"Oh? How's that?" She wonders if he knows more than he lets on or if Robin had lied and spilled the beans. There was always the possibility that he overheard their exchange earlier. He had been a ways away when Robin said she'd known her, but the wind might have carried their words.

"1,568. Sometimes you don't seem fully here, like your mind is somewhere else. 1,570."

"You're comparing us based on the fact that we space out from time to time?"

"Among other things. 1,575."

"Do I worry you, then?"

"Should you?"

Karmen places a hand over the lump in her shirt created by the signet ring that now hangs around her neck. "Perhaps."

Zoro pushes off the flagpole and lands beside her. He sits and leans against the mast with his hands crossed behind his head. "Then I'll just handle whatever trouble you cause when it happens. Just be sure to keep those antidotes of yours handy, eh?"

"Zoro, that's not the kind of trouble I-" But the swordsman is already fast asleep. She thinks about the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "Alright then. I'll trust you all to take good care of me when the time comes. I wasn't planning on dragging you into anything, but I may need some help. I'm just a pirate secretary with a promise to keep, after all."

Karmen drapes her shawl over Zoro and climbs down stiffly. She grabs some rope and steps over to Usopp. "Did you break the sandbag course again?" he asks.

"I'm starting a new training. I need you and Nami to tie me up."

Nami peers over the railing from the upper deck. "What kind of training is that?"

"I'm weak, cute, and short, which on a pirate ship makes for an easy prisoner. If bounty hunters and other pirates get a jump on me then I want to be able to slip out of a few knots."

"If you'd like, I can teach you how to get out of suppression holds." Robin smiles over the cover of her book.

"Just for reference, if I poison one of your extra hands, you get poisoned too, right?"

"In theory."

Karmen observes her for a moment. "In light of your honesty, I'll take you up on your offer later, under Zoro's supervision, of course. Ropes first."

In the anchor room Usopp ties her wrists and Nami ties her ankles. "Why us?" Usopp asks.

"If I asked Sanji, he'd either tie the knots too loosely or do something weird. Luffy would probably crush me to death and Zoro is sleeping in the crow's nest. I don't completely trust Robin yet and you guys tie the best knots."

"So it was a process of elimination," Nami says glumly.

"At least she trusts us to do a good job." Usopp shrugs.

"Anyways," Karmen starts as she wrestles with the ropes on her wrists. "Any tips?"

"Tense up all your muscles before being tied up. If they put ropes around your arms and torso take a deep breath," Nami says. "If they tie your hands, lock your fingers together and rotate one wrist slightly to create a small pocket. Taking your shoes off will help you get ropes off your ankles."

"Shouldn't you have told me things like that before you tied me up?" Karmen asks, wiggling her feet. "And I know you spent eight years stealing from pirates, but how much did you get caught before you learned this stuff?"

"There are other ways you could get out," Usopp comments. "You're our special pirate secretary after all." He taps his foot on the floor.

Karmen sits on her knees so that her wrists and ankles are close to each other. "You're right, Usopp." She grins. "You two make terrible kidnappers. You didn't check me for sharp objects." Karmen holds up the lengths of rope that had been around her wrists and the knife she's pulled from her boot. "Next lesson, please." Nami and Usopp tie her up again, this time making sure her knife and quills were out of reach. Karmen cuts the ropes again and holds up a quill. "I was sitting on one. Check better."

Nami growls and grabs a fresh handful of ropes. She ties Karmen's hands behind her back, her arms to her side, and her ankles together. She takes an extra step and ties Karmen's wrists to her ankles. "Cut your way out of that one."

In her struggle, Karmen flops over on her side. Usopp steps forward to help her back up. "No. Don't help me," she says. "This might take me a while, so you can go back to what you were doing. If I'm not loose by dinner you can come get me, ok?"

"But it's not even lunch time," Usopp comments. "And Luffy might eat all the food if we wait until after dinner."

"Maybe being hungry will loosen some of these ropes. Besides, Sanji will save me something."

"Right. You heard her, Usopp. Let's go." Nami grabs Usopp's overalls and drags him out the door. She smiles over her shoulder before closing it. "Good luck."

Minutes pass by as Karmen works on the ropes, first on her wrists, then ankles, then her arms. She's able to locate a knot on her ankle but the angle is difficult to work with. When her fingers are sore and starting to lose blood flow she stops and sighs. "You can come out now."

"You're observant, secretary," Robin says, coming out from behind the plastic in the corner. "Nice workstation, by the way."

"You didn't touch anything, did you?"

"Of course not. I just looked." She holds up her hands in innocence.

"Good, because I can't really point out any antidotes right now." Karmen goes back to working on the knot she found. "Did you want something?"

"I thought this might be a good time to talk, Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen."

Karmen forces herself into a sitting position. "Don't know her. The name's Valentine W. Karmen." Her face doesn't betray any emotion but her eyes stare coldly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be offended by that name." Robin sits in front of her, smile never leaving her face.

"No more than 'devil's child' would for you." Karmen watches Robin's face falter for a moment. "Yeah. I've heard about you. I know about how they blew up your home island. A certain warlord would come visit my father and talk about all the government's dirty little cover ups. He spoke pretty fondly of you and how you continued to evade capture. If it makes you feel any better, I find the whole matter despicable. That's not the reason I don't trust you, though. He told me about the other twenty years as well."

"I guess we've both had experiences with warlords then," Robin says. "Speaking of covering things up, how does the daughter of a noble end up on a pirate ship drinking poison?"

"The same way an eight year old girl ends up with a bounty on her head, I suppose. Learning too much, being a casualty of circumstance, wanting to find something tangible to hold onto... Maybe I'll tell you how when we've gotten to know each other a little better." Karmen uses the corner of a box to work on the ropes around her arms, ignoring the pain it causes in her shoulder blades. "In more ways than one, you and I are in the same boat. We're running and would rather certain agents of the government and underground don't catch up with us."

"It seems we are," she says, resting her chin in her palm. "That man is the _real_ reason you want to learn how to escape ropes, isn't he? Everything I've heard says he enjoys stringing people up by their hands and feet." Karmen's eyes darken dangerously. "I'm sorry. Perhaps that was a step too far. I want to assist you if I can. If we're going to be crewmates, it's only logical that we help each other evade capture."

Mulling it over for a minute, Karmen works a few loops of rope up to shoulder level. In his occasional stories the warlord had never said one malicious thing about this woman. Secretly she had become a hero in Karmen's mind until she thought of all the people who had become patsies for Robin's continued survival. Still. She couldn't fully distrust anyone _he_ spoke of with admiration. She trust his judgment above all others and after this year and a half of being on the run herself, she was beginning to empathize with her. "I think I can agree to that. If you keep this up I may start to like you." She wiggles her wrists again. "I'd shake on it, but I seem to be a little tied up at the moment."

"Allow me." She smiles cheerfully and produces a hand behind Karmen, shaking both of her tied hands together. "I'm glad we were able to come to an understanding." Robin stands and starts to head for the door.

"Could you do me a favor?" Karmen asks in a soft voice.

"I thought you didn't want any help until after dinner. You've made great progress so far."

"No. Not that. I just… Let me be the one to tell the crew, ok?"

"I already told you," Robin says. "I have no interest in who you used to be."


	19. Chapter 19: Monkeys and Caapi

_Ship's Log 17: Monkeys and Kidnappers_

 _A ship fell on us today. From the sky. Robin says it could have come from a sky island. Any doubts the crew had about her being an archeologist went out the window as she examined a skeleton that landed onboard. When exploring the wreckage, partially in submersible barrels, they found only a map of Skypia and an odd bike. While they were underwater a group of salvage monkeys sailed up and used air to lift the wreckage. The sky went dark and giant figures appeared in the mist. Before we left, Robin was able to swipe an eternal pose to Jaya._

Karmen waves to the crew as she sets off to restock the tea. "Don't be gone too long now," Usopp calls. She sips her tea from her thermos as she walks, admiring the sky over Mock Town in Jaya where they have just docked. Karmen had promised not to stay gone too long since the crew is only going to shore for information on Skypia. Sanji had nearly insisted on coming with her, but she declared herself well stocked and able to protect herself in a lowlife rabble town like this. Besides, had she requested his assistance Usopp would have had a heart attack, since five other pirate ships are docked nearby. She adds more bloodroot to her tea and muses aloud, "What should I write father about next." She looks out at the ocean to where her home island lies.

Footsteps behind her get rather close once she turns a corner. "I haven't been gone that long. Did something happen?"

"No, but something's gonna happen if you don't tell us where you're keeping the treasure. That is a pirate ship you just got off of, isn't it?" Karmen glances over, rather bored, to see three men she's never seen before. They are all burly men with cropped haircuts. One of them is shirtless and the other two wear bloodied clothes. All three carry clubs.

"We don't have any treasure."

The apparent leader smashes a hole in the wall. "Tell us the truth, girlie."

She sighs and sits at a table outside a nearby pub, deciding to humor their illusions instead. "Nami took the treasure to be exchanged. You won't find any there on the ship."

"And why should we trust you?" The man in front raised his club and smashes the table. Karmen barely reacts in time to get her thermos out of the way. She'd been a jinx to tables lately.

Karmen sips her tea, unimpressed. "Merry may be a pirate ship, but I'm just a secretary. I don't fight and I don't prevent raids."

"So they went to exchange the treasure, huh?" The shirtless one says. "Well then why don't we give them an invitation to offer it to us, then?" He held up a spool of rope.

Karmen groans. "I'll leave a ransom note. This will annoy the captain, though." Producing a piece of paper she quickly writes. "Hey guys. I've been kidnapped again! The-"… "What's your group name again? It would be easier for them to drop off the money if they know where to look."

"The Morning Stars."

"But you carry clubs." Karmen blinks at them and shrugs at their angry faces. "Where do you want them to take it?"

"The warehouse on 10th and Western."

"The Morning Stars want you to bring the money Nami just exchanged to the warehouse on 10th and Western. See you soon! -*heart* K… PS: If you send Zoro, make sure someone goes with him. I'd rather be picked up quickly." She pins the note on the pub's exterior wooden support beam with a quill and holds her hands out to the men, one wrist slightly rotated. "Ok. I'm ready." Taking her bag with big grins, they tie her hands behind her and tie her arms to her torso. None of the bystanders offer to help her. Either this sort of thing is normal for Mock Town or they're all confused about why a petite woman would be almost cheerful to be kidnapped. "If you see a man wearing a straw hat, a woman with orange hair, and a man carrying three swords, point them to that note please."

They don't blindfold her and she finds herself frowning at all the smiling symbols she sees around town. She had thought this would be a quick trip that didn't warrant her outfit and she feels exposed wearing a short sleeved shirt and a knee length skirt. At least she chose sandals she could run in. The trio didn't seem like bad men, despite their excessive use of rope. They walked at an even pace and didn't pull her down the street. If she wasn't bound it would have reminded her of her bodyguards back home. She finds their efforts adorable and decides she won't hurt them if it can be helped. They lead her to the warehouse promised and deposit her on the floor before tying her ankles too. "Sit there and be quiet," the first guy says. Setting her bag to the side, the men spread out and sit on boxes positioned around a fire pit.

"Is this much rope really necessary? It's not like I've fought you at any point in this. Really, I'm happy to just sit and wait for the crew."

"Maybe it's a little excess, but it's better to be safe than sorry," says the leader.

"That's fine, I guess," she pouts. She slipped a sharp quill pen out the back of her waistband and cut herself loose. "If you'd like I can make us some tea while we wait." She holds up a metal canister to the shirtless guy and smiles prettily.

He yells and almost falls off his crate. "How did you get out? And where were you keeping that?"

"Oh come on guys. It would be a bad sign for a ship's secretary to not have tea on her at all times. And every woman needs to know how to slip out of a little bit of rope when she's on a ship full of men." She offers the amateurs tea again. "I'm useless and weak, so it's not like I'm going to run away. I just want to do something while we wait. You wouldn't want me to get bored, would you?" She gives her best puppy dog eyes. "It's even my favorite and I'm willing to share with you guys."

Grunt number two finally speaks up. "Well, I guess some tea would be nice. What kind is it?"

"Lemon Caapi tea! It can only be found in jungles, so it's really rare." Karmen dances over to their small fire and started boiling the water.

"Where'd you get the kettle?" asks thug number one.

"I already told you. I'm a secretary. I wouldn't be any good at my job if I couldn't make tea at any minute, even if the crew was in battle."

"Even then, huh?" asks shirtless monkey number three.

Karmen glares over at them. "What kind of secretary do you take me for? The only files I keep are the ship's logs and the navigation reports. Cleaning and making tea are my prime duties!" She takes a calming breath and hums as she sprinkles in some tea leaves. "I've been wanting to test this tea out for the longest time, so I'm actually glad you guys came along. It's my own special blend. I do hope you like it." Using an old box lid as a tray, she gives each of the kidnappers a cup of hot tea and sits down on a box with her own. The leader watches her take a sip first and then drinks from his.

"This is good," he says.

"I'm glad. I was worried it would be too bitter at first." Karmen is glad that she's been alternating the leaves and bark in her meals daily since leaving Little Garden. She had added other poisons to her meals as well, but she was having trouble finding good times to apply them in a battle situation, mostly because she'd been avoiding battles. "You guys haven't been doing this long, have you?"

"Only a month," admits number three. Two hits him.

"Well it's a good town for it, as long as you don't go after the wrong target," Karmen observes.

"Thank you for being so cooperative," the leader says. He's about halfway through his cup. "We really don't like roughing up women."

"No, no. You have been lovely and I have faith in the crew."

After a few minutes of talking, she hears one of them gasp. It is crony number two. "Hey, have you always been made of ink?"

"Made of ink? Interesting. Are you sure it's not just a trick of the light? It is rather dim in here." Karmen pulls out a piece of paper and begins jotting out notes. "Anything else?"

"Why is there so much screaming? Something bad must be happening a few streets over," comments number one. Karmen notes the tremor in his voice. "This town gets too rough for us. Especially with that guy's men around."

"There are black snakes coming out of her skirt. They look poisonous. Run! She must have devil fruit powers. She's some kind of monster!" They take off towards the front entrance.

"Not that way! There's a ghost ship sailing through the walls!" They turn around and stumble over themselves like some sort of comedy act.

Karmen has to stop writing because she's laughing so hard. After a minute she wipes away a tear and examines her abandoned surroundings. "Well hello. What did you boys leave me?"

Luffy, Nami, and Zoro have just arrived back at the ship as Karmen drags a big sack up the street with a Luffy-like grin on her face. "Karmen? I thought you were on the ship," the captain calls. "Nami said that note looked like a fake and wanted to look here first."

"I, uh, decided to go shopping." She pulls the bag up to the gangplank.

"What happened to your wrists?" Nami asks, looking down at the rope burns that are visible.

"Just a casualty of progress. I had some visitors and took them out for a special tea blend. What happened to you guys? You look terrible." She notes several cuts and bruises on both men. Nami looks angry.

Zoro holds up the ransom note and returns her quill. "Is this supposed to be a joke?"

"Not at the time, but you can tear it up now."

"What kind of visitors did you run into? What happened to them?" asks Usopp after catching some of what was written on it.

She grins wickedly. "Just some guys trying to make their way in the world. They had a bad trip."

"… Right." Zoro hands the note back to her as she pulls the bag onto the ship. She rips it up and drops it into the ocean.

"Nami, you can split this _equally_ amongst the crew. I got what I wanted." She holds up her notes, humming happily as she goes to go copy them into her research journal.

Nami opens the bag and grins. "Karmen, where did you get all this treasure?"

Zoro looks toward the door that Karmen has disappeared into and crosses his arms. "Do you guys remember that screaming we heard on our way back?"

"What about it?" Luffy asks.

"Something tells me she caused it."

 _Robin returned to the ship with information on a man who may be able to help us and we ran into the salvage captain's brother. I think the whole family are monkey men. This guy could use some serious singing lessons. His sonar mic almost wrecked Merry. Usopp and I were especially upset, since the ship was a gift from our precious Kaya._ _We found Montblanc Cricket's house and the story of Montblanc Noland, the liar, who was executed saying a great treasure sunk into the sea. Cricket, Noland's descendant, and his two friends, the salvage captains, have been trying to prove or disprove the legend left behind._

 _He and the monkey brothers fixed our ship so that we could ride the Knockup Stream current, a jet of water, into the air and land on permanent clouds. We had to catch a south bird to keep us on course and Robin ended up being the one to catch it. She's turning out to be a useful member of the crew today, as much as I hate to admit it. I'm finding it really hard to dislike this woman. Usopp managed to catch me a poisonous tarantula. I milked the venom and set him free._

 _When we returned the three men had been mugged and Merry's bow had been split in two. Usopp and I stood there shaking with rage. Even with the repairs we've done on her, I'm not sure how much more our beloved ship can take. Apparently the guys who bloodied up Luffy and Zoro in Mock Town were the culprits. If I could reach it at the time I would have used the Plucharon. I've finally made an antidote for it and Luffy went to deal with them while we tended the ship. He returned triumphantly after sunrise with the stolen gold and a Hercules beetle. His bounty has gone up to 100 million berries and Zoro's is 60 million. We're all a little jealous. Even me, to my own surprise. I should join more battles._

 _We've set sail with Merry patched together and fitted with a pair of wings. I can still see the damage from inside my workstation, even though they fixed her well. I had to put half my bottles back on the shelf. They totally messed up my filing system._

 _We aren't sure if we can make it to Skypia in one piece. The monkey men took us to the center of a whirlpool that will become the knockup current. I have to stop writing for now to secure our possessions, but as long as we have the captain with us, I'm sure his luck will carry us through, or in this case, up._


	20. Chapter 20: Hawkeye in the Sky

[Author's Note: This chapter (and a few in the past) mentions a few unnamed people. I felt it would be giving away too much if I revealed who exactly they were speaking of so soon in the story line and I felt their conversation wouldn't be natural if they themselves had to explain who it was. No, you haven't missed anything. It's just written to be slightly confusing and mysterious. At first Pierce remained unnamed as well, but he gets mentioned in the next chapter and I felt this one has enough unnamed "him's" in relation to her past as it was.]

 _Valentine's Personal Log 18: Ocean in the Sky_

 _It's hard to breathe up here, so I'll copy the important details over to the ship's log once I can fill my lungs enough to go get it. Everything is made of clouds. The bottomless ocean, buildings, weapons, everything. There are fish and people with wings on their backs. A knight showed up talking about "Extols". It seems to be the currency used here. I found myself touching the ring around my neck, wondering if my family's money would work in the clouds. I haven't risked using it since I left, so I'm not sure if I even have access to it. There would be a low risk of anyone tracking it to Skypia, but the knock-up current isn't the only way to get up here and I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble._

 _We found ourselves in a part of Skypia called Angel Beach. Zoro teased me for not putting on my red outfit to go ashore. I just smiled and told him I didn't have any ex's in heaven yet, but that I might make some before we went back to our ocean. We met a woman named Conis and her father Pagaya. We learned about waivers, bike-like boats that run on things called breath and jet dials. Nami took to it right away and asked for the one that Luffy brought aboard could be fixed._

 _Everything here is powered by creature shells called dials. They can store anything from light to an impact to sound waves themselves. Usopp was very interested in them. I could see the wheels in his head turning and knew some invention was about to be born. Be proud of him, Kaya. He's grown so strong and he's only going to get stronger in a place like this. I can't let myself pass this up either. I found myself looking to collect liquid dials for storing inks and poisons. I even learned of one that could neutralize toxins._

 _A bunch of weird guys came after us and threatened us with divine punishment from the sky island's Kami, Eneru for not paying an entrance fee. Sanji, Luffy, and Usopp went back to Conis' house to grab some supplies while the rest of us piled back into the ship. While we were waiting for the rest to return, a giant lobster grabbed Merry and drug us off to a sacrificial altar in the part of the island that the sky people told us not to go to. This ought to be interesting, if we survive. I've never met a Kami before but I don't think I could poison one._

 _Sky sharks and sky eels patrol the waters around the altar. Our favorite swordsman punched one. Since this is my personal log, I've got to say, Zoro looks great with his hair held up by goggles. Throw that in with a tank top and he looks like a cool thug. My father would be so disappointed to find me living on a ship with guys like this. I love it. And speaking of men that father hates…_

Karmen's eyes scan over the shadows in the forest.

 _Zoro wants to go do recon and Robin wants to investigate the local ruins. Nami heard "ruins" and decided to go treasure hunting. I hate to leave Chopper all alone in a place like this, but I really should go say hi. I'll say I'm looking for poisons or something._

Strapping her basket to her back, Karmen swings across to dry land after Nami as the other sky sharks devour the one that Zoro knocked out. Pretending to adjust her basket, she looks into the shadows and nods towards the forest ahead. After they walk a long distance, Robin runs ahead to investigate a partial ruin and Nami climbs a tree to try to find a few reference points. Karmen writes a brief note and pins it to a tree. _Saw some plants I want. You would have stopped me. Will ride a sky shark to catch up. -K._

She quickly climbs a tree and walks across a low hanging branch to get across the river. She slips briefly on the damp moss and a hand materializes out of nowhere to stabilize her leg. She looks over her shoulder to see Robin give her a discreet thumbs up. Karmen gives her a nod in return and continues. She slides down a vine to get to the ground and runs straight for five minutes to join the man out of earshot of the others.

"Uncle Drac, what are you doing somewhere so sunny?" she asks.

"How, in any form, are we related?" Dracule Mihawk asks. "You have more of a relation to Doflamingo than you do to me."

"Don't go lumping me in with that creep." She crosses her arms. "And his mark was all over Mock Town. Don't you guys have territorial boundaries or something? Whatever. You said last time that you don't like Hawkie, and Bird Man's been out since I was a child, so what am I supposed to call you?"

"Mihawk or Dracule come to mind."

"I only give nicknames to people I'm dearly fond of, you know. You should accept it without complaint."

"Call me what you will, then." She smiles. This is the closest she can get to having him admit that he likes being called "Uncle." "How's that whelp doing?"

"Oh? Still interested in, Zoro, huh?" Her smile widens. "He's gotten stronger thanks to that speech of yours, but now I'm just repeating my letter. He's still no match for you, but you'll get old someday."

"When we last crossed paths I was surprised to see you with pirates."

"I would have waved, but I was a little busy trying to keep some young frog from bleeding to death." He gives her a sidelong look that makes her shrink a little. She gets to the point. "I didn't really expect it either. I just needed a ship and they seemed like good people. I'm just the secretary. I don't do much fighting."

He glances at the poison harness on her wrist. "Obviously." He begins to walk slowly and she falls in step beside him. "I had business in the area and calculated your route based on your captain's personality."

"How do you pick up on so much from those clipped conversations of yours?" she asks. "And you're an awful liar. Your left eyebrow lowers slightly. He sent you, right? How is he?"

"I saw him at a government meeting a few days ago. He was himself. I mentioned seeing you and he asked me to look in on your current situation."

"I would have called but it's safer for both of us if we keep contact to a minimum." She wonders about the extra tidbit of information he had added, knowing he doesn't say more than necessary. Afraid to ask what he means, she lets it slide. "As long as I don't run into this Kami guy, I think I'll be fine. The crew may have a few airheads, but they're pretty good in a pinch."

"They're full of potential, but I don't think that will satisfy him."

"Then he'll have to live with my decision, won't he?" Karmen stops walking and Mihawk lets her form her thoughts. "Have you heard anything about… Pierce _?_ "

"I'm a busy man, cub. I have not had the leisure to look after his status."

"I thought you might say that." She continues their progress forward. "I just thought it couldn't hurt to ask. I'm going back for him."

"Don't let past failures cloud your judgement. They would be very upset with you if you got yourself killed."

"Past failures," she scoffs. "What choice did I have? I was forced to leave him behind. I made a promise, Drac. I'll keep it, even if I get killed."

He considers this for a moment before he stops walking and looks at a nearby plant. "That's Brugmansia. Avoid touching the leaves and seeds. The main symptoms are tachycardia, dark hallucinations, self harm, and paralysis. I trust you can figure the rest out on your own."

She leans down to examine the plant and takes a few notes. When she looks back up, he's gone. "Thank you, Uncle Drac." She smiles as she collects it. "Though, if you're going to try a disappearing act, you should dial down the Haki. I can feel you watching me."

Karmen returns as the others start heading back to the ship. Her shoulder is a little bloody, but the sky shark she's riding follows her commands without any backlash.

"How did you tame that thing?" Nami screams at her.

"I poisoned Teeth here with deadbolt and told him that if he wanted the antidote before his friends ate him he'd give me a lift." Karmen pulls the vine in his mouth to maneuver the shark closer to shore.

"What did you find, then?" Robin asks.

"Angel's Trumpet. It'll be the perfect thing to replace my bloodroot. I'm almost out." She jumps ashore and removes the harness from the shark. It swims off quickly.

Zoro waves the note in her face. "If you keep doing this I'm going to stop returning your pens."

 _Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji were at the altar when we returned. The ship had been attacked by a priest of Eneru and Chopper had called the sky knight for aid. He is the old Kami who was driven out of sacred island which, as Nami discovered, used to be part of Jaya and had been blown into the sky by the knockup current. He's in rough shape. He fought hard defending Chopper and Merry. We were told that without him, the ship would have burned and Chopper would have been killed. I feel I should have stayed, but I know deep down that if I had tried to fight this man, I would have been killed. We owe a great debt to this old knight. I hope we can pay him back somehow._

 _I can feel Mihawk in the woods still. It's like he's pinpointed Haki directly at me. Maybe he's trying to tell me that I'm protected, but I'm not sure if his protection extends to the crew. I want to believe they don't need it, but Chopper could have died today. We still know next to nothing about this Eneru except that everyone up here is terrified of him and his beams of divine punishment. Usopp says they defeated one of his four priests in the forest to get here, so we may be able to pull this off. They said there are also tribal guerrilla nearby, so that may give us an advantage, depending on who they choose to attack._

 _We're camping on the shore, eating soup and the sky sharks that Luffy knocked out. I didn't see Teeth amongst them, so I didn't feel obligated to skip the meal. I left the Angel's Trumpet on the ship, so if anything happens I won't be able to use it in a fight. I need time to remove the extract and produce an antidote for it. I feel that time is a luxury we don't have at the moment. I did, however, load up on Plucharon._

 _I wonder if this "Kami" considers taking plants from the sacred land an offense. It seems like nearly everything is. I probably can't dodge beams of divine punishment. If this creature, however, is a man, like the old Kami is, then it means he either has special dials or devil fruit powers. I've never had any qualms about hurting a man's feelings before. I don't plan to start having any now._

 _Nami's been getting everyone gold oriented. I've never gone gold hunting before, but they're sure to run into resistance. Maybe I'll be part of the team that stays with the ship. The men set up a bonfire. I think I'll join the party. Too bad Uncle Drac is keeping a low profile. He's quiet, but he likes festivities. I'll make sure to "accidentally" throw a bottle of booze into the woods._

Later that night, as she is getting back from placing two bottles of liquor in the shadows of the forest, Karmen hears the sound of a hammer being used on Merry _._ She goes and stands next to the lake that surrounds the altar upon which the ship rests. She hears a voice say, "It's alright. I'll carry all of you for a little while longer." Not too far away, Usopp screams.

* * *

 _Ship's Log 18: The Split_

 _Merry was repaired by someone last night. Usopp and I heard a strange voice. I discussed it with him privately, since none of the rest of the crew seems to believe it. The poor ship's been through so much, I'd like to thank the person if I could. Usopp used a sky shark to drag her back into the water. If Teeth had still been in the area, he wouldn't have had to use Chopper as bait, but the plan worked fine. Luffy, Zoro, Chopper, and Robin went to find the ruins. Usopp, Sanji, Gan Fall (sky knight), his horse-bird, Nami, and I started sailing the ship around the island to pick everyone up when they have the gold. The old Kami confirmed that the title of Kami is passed down to the leaders of the sky people and that the guerrilla are people called Shandians who are the descendants of the people who lived on the part of Jaya that made it to the sky._

 _That Eneru guy showed up. Just as I thought, he's a man with lightning devil fruit powers. (I really need to start poisoning apples. This guy seems to like them). He's made up of lightning, so we can't hit him. I really need some sea prism._

 _The guy just zapped Sanji and Usopp. I'm going to have to stop writing for a while._

Karmen dips a pen in Plucharon. "Stop zapping my friends!" She leaps at the so-called Kami and slashes chest level. He dissolves into lightning and reforms a few steps away. He shocks her and the impact sends her flying over the railing and into the mouth of a sky shark in the waters below.


	21. Chapter 21: The Warlord's Test

A sky shark swims up the milky road, cutting its way through the cloudy river. It stops at an alcove in the forest and rears out of the water. A drenched form slides from its mouth and falls limply on the shore where a man with a cross shaped sword is standing. "So I ran into that Kami person. What have you been up to?"

"He had no murderous intent in his attack." The man exhales at her. "Did you realize your cloaking Haki slips when you're with your crew? That's rather careless of you."

"Duly noted, Uncle Drac. It's hard to keep reversing observation Haki all the time, though. And it's useless if someone's staring straight at you before you use it." Karmen tries to move her hand, but her fingers just twitch. "This is worse than having tranquilizers and deadbolt in my system." A shock of electricity runs through her, causing her muscles to spasm wildly. "I wasn't able to walk right for days after that."

Mihawk picks up Karmen and throws her over his shoulder unceremoniously. "It will pass. Stop being dramatic."

"Thanks, Drac." Her arms sway uselessly as he walks. "No murderous intent. So the others are ok? Even Nami?"

"They will live. The girl fared better than the men. What made you think you could fight someone at his level?"

"He hurt Usopp… and Sanji." Her hands twitch as she tries to ball them into fists. "I knew there was nothing I could do against a Logia, but I…" She gives up on trying to move. She can't even feel whether or not she has hair matted to her face. "I need sea prism. Then I can fight guys like that."

"A lack of equipment and a lack of skill are not equal failures. If you could use armor Haki you wouldn't need gimmicks."

"Jeez, Mihawk. Kick a dog while it's down, why don't you? It's not like you guys ever gave me any combat training. I only know where to decently stab people from my visits to Dressrosa. My fighting style consists of poisoned quills and dancing. I do better in a dress." Karmen starts to shake and she thinks she is having another spasm, but the tremors are not coming from her. "Are you laughing at me? You are, aren't you?"

"I find it humorous that you focus your observation Haki while dancing."

"You have to be in sync with your partner, you know. Haven't you danced a tango before? Paso Doble? Salsa? A _waltz_?" She spasms again. "Are you smiling? Turn me around. This is a once in a lifetime view and I'm missing it. Drac, are you even listening to me?"

She hears him unsheathe a blade. "How dull are your senses, girl? We've had company for some time now."

"I can't lift my head so all I can see is this drab vest coat of yours. Describe them."

"Weak goat creatures who use gimmicks." There are a few angry bays of protest.

"Hey. I think I just moved my ankle."

"What did I tell you?"

Karmen could hear the goat men spouting something about being the Kami's warriors and how every intruder would perish. Dracule never breaks his stride. He swat them away with the same tiny knife that he had defeated Zoro with. After a while, Karmen was able to lift her head and see the creatures he was leaving behind. "Why _did_ you never teach me how to fight?"

"Your father would not allow it."

Karmen grits her teeth. "He allowed plenty. That's why I left."

"And yet you're in such a hurry to get back."

She's able to curl her fingers into a shape that resembles fists. "If he's alive then I'm going to save him."

Mihawk drops Karmen on the ground. She tries to push herself up on her elbow but falls onto her back. "You can't even take the force of one measly lightning bolt. How can you help anyone? You're weak."

Karmen tests her hands again. "So what?" Her eyes focus on Mihawk fiercely. "I've gotten stronger already. When I get back I'll be stronger still. What is it that the idiot swordsman said when facing inevitable defeat? 'To retreat, even an inch, my ambition, my vow, everything I care about will be shattered, and all my dreams will be lost forever.' Our goals may be different, but our resolve is the same."

"So you too, would rather die than accept defeat." His eyes narrow down at her.

"Pierce was ready to die to give me my freedom, Mihawk. I'm simply returning the favor."

"And if he did die?"

"Then, granted I can get away for a second time, I'd have to ask _him_ why he left Pierce behind."

"You haven't asked him already?"

"I haven't seen him in nearly two years. When I asked him then he just looked at me like he does." She watches the breeze cut through the leaves overhead. "Do you know how little attention the government gives Gekko Island? I was surprised to even see you at that restaurant." She forces herself to sit up, despite her muscles protesting at every angle. "If you see him before I do… tell him I miss him."

"You don't resent him, then?"

"Pierce may have been by my side and sacrificed himself for me that night, but _he_ kept me human while I grew up. If it weren't for him, I would have ended up like those people. Those monsters. He may have left Pierce behind, but he carried me to the others safely. I owe him everything. Thinking of him makes me want to do my best so that I can help him in return."

"And how do you plan to help a warlord?"

Karmen doesn't answer right away. "I'll figure something out." Southbirds call overhead, filling the silence between them with unspoken uncertainty.

"If you can walk, we should return you to the ship. The air pressure is changing unnaturally." Karmen looks up at Mihawk. He's not the kind to make unnecessary commentary, but the softened look in his eye says that he acknowledges her feelings in both situations.

"Give me your butter knife." He hands it over without a word. Jerkily, she cuts the laces from her boots and peels back the leather. "You should take me shoe shopping." On the inside of her left ankle her knife is fused to the skin. Framing the flesh of her right ankle are two metal tipped quill pens. She grits her teeth through the pain and uses his knife to silently cut the metal free, thankful that Mihawk keeps his blades razor sharp.

He watches silently as she drops all three items in a pile next to her and drags herself over to an aloe plant. She cuts it up and scrapes the inside out to put on the scorched streaks on her legs. Finding large leaves, she wraps her injuries and binds them with thin vines. He cuts down two "Y" shaped saplings and ties leaves to the intersections. Karmen tucks her knife and quills into her waistline even though they still have bits of her charred flesh stuck to them. She cleans his knife off on her still damp skirt before returning it to him. She gratefully accepts the improvised crutches and a hand to her feet.

Once standing, Karmen leans on the crutches to check her poisons. The seals on the bottles are cracked but holding. She wonders if extreme heat denatures extracts and tastes each one. The deadbolt is charred beyond all recognition but the sunblade seems fine. The Plucharon is untouched but tastes off somehow. The antidote to the sunblade is shot so she takes dabs of the other two and lets her tongue burn from the earlier sampling. It reminds her of Usopp's tobacco star. "Was it you who repaired our ship last night?" He gives her a look. "Didn't think so."

"Thank you for the alcohol, though." His eyes peer into the overhanging branches. "Why don't you take care of this one."

A goat man jumps from the trees and aims an axe dial at them. Mihawk jumps to the side and leans against a tree. Karmen barely swivels enough to the side to avoid the attack. "What's with you warlords and testing people?" She had shown that she could bear through pain, now he wanted to see if she could fight through it.

"Don't worry. I won't let you die. The other one would have my head if I did."

"Like I'd get myself killed by a guy like this." Unable to stop to acknowledge that he just made something resembling a joke, Karmen avoids another blow from the dial and sweeps a crutch at his feet. The creature dodges nimbly using his waiver shoes. She dips a quill in the sunblade and chunks it at him. He dodges midair and lands nearby. She blocks an axe dial blow with her knife and it goes flying. Performing a limping half turn she dodges another blow that grazes her arm and knocks her down. Karmen dips her last quill in Plucharon. She shoves it into her bandages and pushes off the ground towards the goat man with her hands. He tries to dodge, but the quill stabs him in the shin like a spiked heel. "Stiletto Necrosis!" The impact tears open her burn wounds. The necrosis starts almost immediately, spider-webbing blackness out from his wound like blood poisoning. She lets out a curse as the creature falls to the ground baying painfully. "The electricity accelerated the toxins."

Karmen quickly binds the creatures' leg above the swelling. She pulls the axe dial from his hand and uses it to slice the wound open before pouring antidote into his leg. She also forces some into his mouth. "Mercy for your enemy?" Mihawk asks.

"It was supposed to slow him down, not kill him." She removes his weapons and breathes a little easier when the antidote starts to take effect. "I'm sorry. You may lose your leg. I'd inject you with the antidote, but my supplies are on the ship."

Mihawk steps in and inspects the wound. "The concentrated poison is effective, but your actions have saved his life."

"A wise man recently told me that it's easy to kill, but killing your enemies is a sign that you lack faith in your own abilities and strength." Karmen wonders how Alabasta is faring as she dries the goat man's sweating brow with a patch of moss. "Just because I'm a pirate doesn't mean I have to kill unnecessarily."

Mihawk regards her with just a slight shift to his eyebrows. "With a heart like yours, it would be best to keep that philosophy. Life is precious and should not be wasted." Karmen briefly thinks back to how he had said he cut up Krieg's ship to kill time but decides to let it slide. Krieg was a jerk. The sky has grown dark while they wait for the creature to recover. She sits with the goat man until the swelling starts to go down and releases the binding on his leg to prevent excess clotting. She wraps his leg like her own and lets him sleep off the remaining effects of the poison. Mihawk holds out a hand. "I'll carry you back to your ship. Keep your Haki up so that man doesn't sense your presence."

She accepts his hand, but puts the crutches under her arms once she is standing again. "The crew still doesn't know. With everything that's happening, I don't know if I'll have time to tell them at the moment. They might wonder why a warlord came all the way to Skypia to chat with me and you know Zoro won't pass up a chance to take another swing at you."

"Only the two unconscious men are on your ship at the moment. The others are fighting this false god."

"Just how developed is your Haki?"

"I have eyes."

"Hawk eyes."

Despite her insistence on making her own way, Karmen finds she can't use the crutches to climb the giant tree roots. She and Mihawk compromise on calling Teeth to give them a ride back. The warlord protects them from other sky sharks who smell Karmen's blood and when large lightning bolts start to tear the island apart he deflects them with his Haki infused sword.

When they arrive at the ship, Sanji and Usopp are gone. Only Conis and her white fox remain on board. Mihawk remains out of her line of sight while Karmen climbs on board and performs a head count. She looks over to Mihawk for confirmation. "They're all alive and conscious," he whispers before disappearing into the forest. Not long after, a sack full of freshly acquired garlic and aloe are tossed aboard followed by the remains of her boots.

It takes Karmen a moment to realize what he was suggesting. "Burn cream!" She remembers Chopper making it the night before at the bonfire. She looks up to thank him, but he is gone. This time, she cannot feel his Haki.

"Who threw that?" Conis asks.

"A dear friend."


	22. Chapter 22: One Ring to Light a Flame

_Ship's Log 19: The Fall of a God_

 _Nami had been chased into the forest by a snake that had swallowed Luffy. Everyone else, including the Shandian Wyper, ended up in the ruins and were defeated by Eneru. Nami went with him to save her own life until she could find a chance to escape. I had to smile when she told me how Zoro caught Robin with the backs of his swords when she was struck by lightning. He may not trust her in the slightest, but his actions remind me that he is a true man. I respect him for actions like these. I also admire Robin for being willing to die to protect the crew. Maybe she was fighting to save her own life, or she still has a death wish, but I find I trust her a little more now. Maybe Zoro does too._

 _Luffy fought Eneru on his flying ship and ended up with a golden ball on his hand._ _Usopp and Sanji fought bravely to help Nami escape Eneru. Sanji sabotaged the ship and took the full brunt of an attack so the others could get away. Our little poetic chef can be really manly when he defends a pretty woman. I get really annoyed by him sometimes, but he's reliable when it actually matters. I'm proud of Usopp for facing a Logia on his own for so long and then returning to ensure the safety of our cook. I truly admire these men._

Karmen briefly stops writing as Sanji reads over her shoulder and begins asking if she loves him now. She beats him with the open logbook, but says she respects everyone's strengths. Dancing off with a goose egg, Sanji says he'll make her some tea and a snack. She sighs and continues to write.

 _Due to the metal items I keep in my boots, I was burned so badly with only one shot of electricity that I cannot stand on my own. I cannot help the crew if I stupidly get myself killed. Also, I'm down another pair of shoes. Maybe Usopp can repair the scorched leather and replace the laces for me. Kaya had better appreciate everything our Usopp goes through._

 _Luffy climbed a giant beanstalk to finish Eneru. That's when the lightning bolts started falling. Conis and I could do nothing but stand on the deck of the ship hoping everything was alright. She's a brave girl, this sky person. She stood next to me, unflinching, as we prayed for the safety of the crew and sky people. I wondered who she prayed to, if not the two Kami she had known all her life. I was mixing burn cream and biting my lip too hard to ask. I have faith in the crew, but that Kami guy packs a wallop. My ankles still sting even now that Chopper's patched me up properly._

 _Nami carried Luffy to the top of the toppling vine on the waiver where the captain dispersed the storm clouds by absorbing the electricity with the golden ball stuck to his arm. With one final punch, he both took out Eneru and rung the golden bell that was far above the ruined city. The sound of the bell reached us as the skies cleared. I dropped my crutches and fell to my knees when I heard it. Our captain had won. I knew in my heart that Montblanc Cricket down below in the Blue Sea heard it as well._

 _Wyper tells us that he fought for the return of his homeland to honor his ancestor Kalgara's friendship with Montblanc Noland who had saved his people from a deadly plague. He had been drawn to Jaya by the sound of the golden bell and the Shandians wanted to ring it upon his return to announce their location in the sky. They were driven from their homeland by the sky people. Both Noland and Kalgara were killed, separated by both sky and sea._

 _Can you hear the bell, Cricket? This proves it. Noland wasn't a liar and he had a dear friend here in this city of gold. Luffy rang the bell so you won't spend the rest of your life searching the ocean floor. Have pride for your ancestor, just as the Shandians here do._ _I held the "X" tattoo on my arm for an hour just thinking about it. If a promise between friends can be kept after 400 years have passed, anything is possible. Upon hearing the significance of this golden bell, the spark of hope I carry in my heart became a flame. That is all I will write on the matter here._

 _Conis went on ahead once I said I would catch up on Teeth, my lovely little trained-with-a-threat sky shark, with the burn cream. He carried me to the edge of the ruins and I walked most of the way into the city. Sanji saw me coming and carried me the rest of the way, despite my protests that I was one of the least injured members of the crew. Chopper treated everyone who needed aid. He's such a good little deer and a brave warrior._

 _Luffy and Usopp built a celebratory bonfire. I wished I could have danced but I couldn't even stand without my burns opening again. Luffy picked me up and swung me wildly at one point, but I don't entirely count that. I spent the evening catching up on everyone's stories and being glad I was nowhere near the ruins at the time. Even the ever serious Wyper joined in on the festivities, once he was awake. At some point Zoro was shoving a mug of beer in my hands and Sanji made sure I had plenty to eat. Usopp promised to look at my boots later to see if they could be saved. Nami says we could sell some artifacts and have plenty of shopping money. Chopper carried me around on his back so I could participate in some of the festivities. I made sure to leave a bottle of booze as far into the ruins as I could for people not wanting to join the fun too closely. The party lasted four days. On the second day the alcohol I left out stopped disappearing._

 _The Shandians found the golden bell and pulled it from the ocean. I'm glad they have this piece of history to hold onto. Robin was ecstatic that the attached poneglyph was recovered as well. Usopp made a killing by trading useless Blue Sea junk like rubber bands and tin sheets for dials. I'm going to fill the liquid dials with poisons and ink. That is, if I can get Usopp to stop running around and talking about his plans for them long enough to get my hands on some. Zoro, despite having been shocked twice and drinking half the sky people under the table, spent the day training. Conis made me a cloud boot for my left ankle so that I'll be able to walk on it before it heals completely._

 _Luffy said we were going to make a break for it with the gold they found in the snake's stomach. Chopper carried me to Teeth so I could wait for them back at the ship with Nami and Conis. They showed up with huge bags of gold on their backs. Conis and her father led us to Sky's End with horns blaring from their boat. I rode Teeth all the way to the gate before saying a tearful goodbye to my beloved sky shark as Luffy pulled me aboard. There was a sudden drop and a sky octopus carried the ship down to our ocean like a hot air balloon. The sound of the bell carried us on our way back to the Blue Sea._

* * *

"Are you caught up, then?" Robin asks as Karmen shuts the log.

"Finally." She nods. "Though I get the feeling I'll be pulling them out again soon."

The women watch the usual bustle of activity on the ship as well as Nami building herself a couch out of treasure. "They certainly keep you busy."

"Busy?" Karmen examines the ropes that bind her to her chair. "They won't let me do anything until my ankles heal."

Sanji saunters up then, carrying tea and cakes. "Now, now, Karmen. We're doing this for your own good. If you force yourself to work you'll never heal properly."

Karmen glares at him. "If you get a nosebleed because I'm tied to a chair I'll poison you."

"What would ever give you that idea, my beautifully fierce secretary?" says his mouth, but his eyes are full of hearts and his nose twitches dangerously.

Karmen switches tactics. "At least carry me into the anchor room so I can work on my Angel's Trumpet. It's going to dry out if I wait much longer."

"It will last," Chopper says, snatching the weakening Sanji away by the ear. "You have to stay off your feet until you heal."

"But I'm bored." Karmen lays her head down and groans loudly. Robin chuckles. "And I miss Teeth."

"You like the strangest animals," Zoro comments.

"Of course she does," Sanji retorts. "She's keeps you around, doesn't she?"

"I'll cut you into stew meat!"

They fight until Nami stops lounging and punches them both.

A pile of paper hits the table in front of her nose. Karmen looks up at Usopp who's pulling up a chair and gnawing on a pen. "It's about time to write your father again, isn't it?"

Karmen lays her head down again. "All that's in my head is the truth of what we just went through. If he figures out where I am it would be bad."

"That's why you have your friend Captain Usopp, great exaggerator of the sea." He sits down and starts scribbling notes on a piece of paper. "What do you think of a giant robot?"

"Let's save that one for later."

"A firebird that swallows the ship without it being singed?"

"Didn't we use that one five letters ago?"

"A giant that has islands spring up in his footsteps."

"That might work. I think there's a legend about that." Slowly Karmen comes out of her stupor and they write a three page letter together. Sealing the envelope, she tucks the letter into the logbook for easy access when the mail bird comes along. "In the next letter we should say I've been cursed to always have an echo to my footsteps, causing constant paranoia and eventual madness. I have to appease the spirit following me to free myself by finding a shell in a fish's stomach."

"You seem to be feeling better," he grins. "Just as Captain Usopp predicted."

"You too, right?" Karmen asks. "You've seemed down ever since you went to put the breath dials on the keel."

Usopp's smile falls. "Let's save that until we've gone a little further."

Karmen understands instantly.

* * *

 _Valentine's Log 19: Accidents_

 _Conis gave me some embroidery floss made out of string clouds. It's so soft and doesn't weigh down the fabric at all. I'm going to start working on adding some flair to my red outfit._

 _I finally convinced the crew to let me work on my poisons again. I'm down to my last three doses of bloodroot, so I have to work quickly on the angel's trumpet. I've started four different dosages, extracting different types of toxins from the roots, leaves, seeds, and stalks. I set the flowers aside for modifying the caapi tea. I can't wait until I can send people screaming in terror with just half a cup. I'm going to be the best pirate secretary the Grand Line has seen._

 _Later:_

 _The antidote is trickier than the sunblade's. This toxin has heavy effects on the heart and brain, so I have to make the antidote concentrated enough that it prevents lasting damage. Even in this state, no one should go more than thirty minutes before receiving treatment. Mihawk helped me get some scary stuff._

 _The next day:_

 _The slide tests have come out great. There are no lasting effects once the antidote activates. I have to keep in mind that the process is slowed if ingested. To prevent people from dying when using this I'll either have to force them to swallow reversing agents immediately or inject it directly into their bloodstream._

 _Testing:_

 _All that's left is to start human testing. And by human I mean me. Luffy's been poking around again. I swear. If he gets himself killed by taking my things I refuse to let him haunt me. Chopper and I have set up a system. When testing new poisons, I'll tie my wrist to a small golden bell that we brought back from Skypia. I keep the clearly labeled antidote nearby or tied to my wrist. If I pass out, the bell will ring and he comes in to give me the antidote, given I fall instead of just passing out over the table. Maybe I should put pillows on the ground… except they won't let me walk… I'll just have to make sure I don't cause them to worry. I'll start with a small dose of the less potent version._

Outside on the deck Chopper's ears twitch as a bell crashes. The entire crew looks towards the anchor room. "Don't tell me…" Zoro growls.

Chopper takes off, throwing the door open. Karmen is laying on the floor, chair and bell knocked over. On the desk, partially splashed with poison, is a note held down by a small bottle. Chopper checks her vitals. "Her blood pressure is dropping rapidly and her pulse is threatening tachycardia. Her temperature has already risen four degrees. What do her instructions say?"

Nami picks up the note and reads quickly, but she slows her pace as she goes along.

" _Chopper, if you're reading this then I accidentally grabbed the seed extract instead of the stem extract. If you find me dead, then I didn't have a chance to fall properly and am probably leaving all kind of bodily fluids on this note. I hope you can read it afterwards if that is the case. My hands may become paralyzed so if you have to administer the antidote yourself here are the doses: Stem- 5 drops under the tongue or 2 cc's injection. Seed: 10 drops under the tongue or 5 cc's injected. If I'm alive when you find me, don't be alarmed if the antidote doesn't take effect right away. This one's a doozy. -*heart* K"_

"How can she write stuff like that so casually?" Usopp asks as Chopper injects the treatment.

"How is she, doctor?" Robin asks.

"She seems to be stabilizing." Sanji and Usopp melt to the floor in relief. Nami pulls Luffy's cheek before he can touch any of the equipment.

Karmen comes around ten minutes later and gives everyone a weak smile. "I guess I did grab the wrong bottle. I misjudged the dosage. Sorry about that, everyone."

Zoro waves the note in her face. "This has got to stop."

"If you find me dead!" Usopp quotes. "You're as morbid as Robin!"

"Don't look so worried. I told you before, I don't test anything without a sure antidote ready."

"That's it. I'm taking all your quills."

Karmen desperately tries to crawl after Zoro, but her muscles are weakened and her ankles hurt. "Wait! Wait! Ouch. I'm sorry. Zoro, please don't. I'll die from boredom. Sanji, stop him. Don't let him take my pens. Zoro, I swear if you get cut by the ones dosed with deadbolt I'm not going to give you the antidote until you're about to suffocate!"

"What kind of swordsman do you think I would be if I cut myself on one of your darts?" he calls back.

"Zoro! You heard the lady, don't touch a single feather!" Sanji chases him.

"Where do you think she keeps them?" Nami asks from the doorway. "You're climbing into the crow's nest!"

"That's right, Zoro!" Karmen calls. "I keep all my pens in the crow's nest. Keep climbing. I'm just going to crawl into the dining room and-"

Chopper sits on her back. "You're going to bed."

"I feel better, Chopper, honest. Let me keep one pen, please? For target practice?"

Chopper grows into his man-beast form and picks her up, swiping a pen off her workstation as he leaves the room. "One, but I'm letting Zoro take the others for a day. Doctor's orders."

"I don't suppose you'd let me have my bloodroot tea, would you?"

"You've had enough for one day."

"Yes, sir."


	23. Chapter 23: The Memorial

Nami takes a newspaper from a bird and Usopp gives it Karmen's letter to her father and a coin. "Doesn't Karmen usually send those out herself?" she asks. "She was still in bed when I got up. Do you think she's sick?"

"She's usually up before any of us and she's been dying to do something for days now. Why would she suddenly…?" Usopp starts with realization. "Nami. What day is it?" Nami shows him the date on the paper. "I knew it."

"What is it, Usopp?"

"Today's the two year anniversary of Karmen's shipwreck. She was nearly catatonic last year."

"Karmen can't be catatonic!" Sanji wails. "I'll make her a grand feast that will lift her spirits."

"She didn't eat a thing last year."

"Let's have a party to cheer her up! She likes to dance, right?" Luffy contributes. "Then she'll be hungry and eat plenty. I want lots of meat!"

"Her ankle's still hurt," Chopper says. "She won't be able to dance."

"She was saying that she wanted to grow apple trees," Zoro muses.

"Where are we going to get apple trees in the middle of the ocean?" Sanji yells.

"I was just saying she wanted some!" Zoro screams back.

"Do you think she saw all of her shipmates devoured by sea monsters?" Robin asks. Everyone stares at her.

"Excuse me, everyone." Everyone turns to find Karmen standing in the doorway. She's wrapped in a blanket and her hair is untouched from her restless sleep the night before. Her eyes are red and puffy. "Do we have any candles or incense?" Sanji and Usopp run to the storeroom. Boxes slam and things are thrown, but none of the requested items are found. "I see," she says numbly. "I'm going to go take a bath."

The crew watches as she limps back down the stairs. Sanji's hands ball into fists. "She's beautiful, even when her heart is aching. As a man I will do whatever it takes to make her smile today."

"We passed an Autumn island a few hours ago," Robin says.

"Why didn't you wake me?!" Nami asks.

"There wasn't much shopping."

"Oh. That's fine, then."

"Help me with something, twisty brow." Zoro meets his gaze levelly.

"What did you have in mind?"

A few minutes later the two men jump into the ocean and swim off in the direction the ship had come. "We could have just turned the ship around..." Nami says, shaking her head. "Right. We're going to make sure Karmen doesn't have to lift a finger today. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Robin, I'm leaving the cleaning in your care. Sanji left soup cooking, so we can eat that later."

"What are you going to do?" Usopp asks.

"I'm going to take care of my roommate."

Nami steps into the bathroom. "How's your ankle?"

"Fine." Karmen sits in the bath, head resting on the rim. Her hair is damp, but it's obvious that she's only been sitting in the tub.

"Usopp told us about the shipwreck. Is it ok with you that we know?" She kneels down and starts washing Karmen's hair.

"It's fine."

"Were the candles and incense for your bath?"

Karmen shakes her head. "I was wanting to hold a small memorial tonight. We… our ship went down just before midnight."

"How long were you in the water?"

"Three days."

Nami's hands still. "That long? Were you alone the entire time?"

"There was a bear… fish that I rode until the ship found me."

"You road a bear fish for three days? Didn't it try to eat you?"

"Actually, he gave me apples."

Nami remembers what Zoro had said. "Is that why you like apples so much?"

Karmen thinks for a moment. "I think it started with him. If it wasn't for that bear, I would be dead. I'm still so weak. I can't protect anyone." She lifts her charred ankle out of the water and examines the peeling skin.

"Hey now." Nami smiles softly at her. "If I can fight so can you. You took out that bounty hunter and the goat man, right? And I wasn't able to face Eneru like you did. You're not as weak as you feel, and you've got me and the rest of the crew for everything else. And if something happens to all of us, you seem to have a knack for taming fish."

Karmen sinks a little lower in the water. She has a knack for riding fish, that's for sure, but the only water she had come in contact that night was the rain. She hates lying to the crew, now more than ever, but today was not the day to tell the truth. The truth is too painful for her to voice as the eleventh hour slowly approaches. Today is for the friend left behind. If the crew finds out who she is, they are likely to leave her at the next island. She needs to at least get past the next Red Line.

She feels herself being drawn to her red outfit. As the Straw Hat secretary she is free from all the burdens. If no one sees her face, she can't be identified. If she can't be identified, she can't bring trouble on the crew. If no trouble comes, she can prepare for it in her own time. As the secretary, there is no Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen. Tomorrow, she will try the Angel's Trumpet again. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"That's the Karmen I know." Nami hugs Karmen's bare shoulders before starting the rinse. Karmen finishes the bath and lets Nami dry and style her hair as she treats and binds her ankle. "I've got a cute pair of sandals I've been saving. Your boot would easily fit around them. What do you say, want to wear them? We could count treasure together. That always cheers me up."

"Thank you, Nami," Karmen says. "But I think I'd like to stay barefoot today. There's something I'd like to embroider."

The crew sets Karmen up in the dining room with her embroidery basket and a whole pot of tea. Chopper even threw in the last of her bloodroot. Karmen felt this was very fitting. By this time next year, she would either be a poisons expert with answers or she would be dead. Taking a square of fabric, she began her needlework.

Luffy complains loudly out on deck about how hungry he is, dropping an armful of clutter onto the deck and breaking a few things. Nami punches him and tells him to fix himself something to eat. Usopp walked by with a small load of wood and nails. "Where's Sanji? I thought he'd be cooking lunch by now."

"Sanji and Zoro went for a swim. They'll be back later, if they don't kill each other first. There's soup if you're hungry or I could make you something," he says. "Your tea is cold, too. I'll heat that up."

"I'm not hungry," she admits. "It was just… quieter than I've gotten used to."

"If it's noise you need, I'll sit in the back and work on this." He sits near his scrap pile and starts hammering boards together. A year ago Karmen would have found the steady rhythm ear piercing, but now she finds it drawing her out of her own head. Her hands move to the rhythm of the hammer and she finds the energy to drink a cup of tea. The bloodroot doesn't even make her feel sick anymore, even at five grains a day. She wonders if this will destroy her internal organs, but then she looks at the image appearing in the swatch of cloth and decides it doesn't matter. This is how she'll fight. Usopp notices the improvements and smiles as he works. When he has made a small object he stretches and leans over the table to look at the embroidery. "Eyes?"

"I had a friend… on the ship. Pierce. He had beautiful gray eyes. Every time I felt nervous or scared he would force me to look at him until I calmed down. He could even do it from across the room. I'd known him since I was a child. We did everything together."

"What happened to him?"

"He was injured in the wreck. He gave me that look as I was being carried away. I keep hoping he's alive, but there were a lot of angry monsters there and he was bleeding a lot."

Usopp sits across from her. "You made it, so there's a chance he did too, right?"

"I was rescued and spent three days following a current until I was picked up by a ship. There was nothing around the wreck itself. I've kept my eyes and ears open, but I haven't heard of any other survivors in two years."

"Wherever he is, he'd be happy that you remember him so fondly. Did you love him?"

Karmen gives a soft smile and puts the final stitch in the second eye. "Not in the way that you love Kaya. He was like a brother to me. Kind of like us."

He grins. "We are together a lot, aren't we?"

"Yeah. I feel like joining the crew brought us closer. Do you miss the village?"

"All the time," he admits. "Onion, Carrot, and Pepper must be taller by now, and Kaya should be much healthier. I miss sitting outside her window and telling her stories."

"And getting chased off by the security?"

"That too," he laughs. "You know, I've never heard you say much about anything before the shipwreck. Do you miss your island?"

Karmen looks down at the neat pair of eyes on the swatch in her hands. They don't do Pierce justice but they're enough for now. Her core warms at the memories of her time spent with him. "I would compete in fish riding competitions every summer. Pierce and I would train all spring and in the fall we would watch great fish migrations as they went back to their spawning grounds. It could get dangerous. There were Neptunians and large predators around the island, but if you were skilled enough and had a good fish, you could out maneuver them."

"Did you ever win?"

"A few times." She smiles. "I trained on a Undulate Ray once. I named her Parvati. She was ten feet across and twenty feet long, if you included her tail. That fish could glide through the reefs like none other. She had the prettiest markings on her back. Father wanted to eat her after we won in celebration, but I made sure she was set free. She went off with the winter migrations and didn't come back. I've never seen another ray like her."

"Your dad wanted to eat the fish you won on?"

"It was an old tradition that we don't really practice anymore. I convinced him that she could go off and have babies that we could race when they grew up." Karmen pulls out her red outfit and begins embroidering the ends of the sashes. By the time evening comes around she has the outlines of two Neptunian eels.

"Luffy! Pull this stuff on board will you?"

"I'm starving! You took too long!"

"Sounds like Zoro and Sanji are back," Usopp murmurs. "I wonder what they brought."

Karmen sets down her work and follows him outside. Chopper runs by them with towels as the men climb over the railing. Along with a box of candles and incense, Luffy lifts two trees heavy with fruit on board. Karmen is crying by the time the two men sit down to dry themselves off. They rest against the bulwark and watch her reaction with satisfied smirks on their faces. "You guys got me apple trees." She steps forward and touches one of the still green fruits admiringly. She leans her cheek against the bark of one. "I love them. Thank you so much. Though, to be completely honest, I'm a little impressed that you two stopped fighting long enough to get them."

Usopp and Chopper plant them with Nami's tangerines, one on each side. When done, Usopp grabs the object he had built earlier. It is a small boat onto which he places a candle and two sticks of incense. "To guide lost souls."

Karmen gives the three men a hug, not caring if they are soaking wet. Sanji's eyes go heart shaped as he goes to cook a large evening meal for the crew. Robin lines the bulwark with candles and sets bowls of incense on the four sides of the ship, ready to light when Karmen gives the signal. She returns to the table and writes four names on a small scrap of paper: Godwin, Pierce, Winston, and Dr. Saaresto. On a slightly larger piece of paper she writes five names: Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen, Gallowcomb Antwanette Jenevive Willow, Gallowcomb Edward Herbert Ikaika, Davenwell Ludovic, and Itluk Baldwin. She folds each scrap carefully and puts them into her pocket. She picks up her needlework again and begins adding details to one of the Neptunians.

"That's pretty good," Nami says. "Where did you learn?"

"Godwin," she answers, remembering her dead butler. "He taught me how to brew tea, sew a seam, needlework, and how not to get eaten while fish riding."

"One of those things sounds a little different than the others," Usopp comments.

"He was a champion fish rider when he was younger and he attended each race I competed in. He was a great tailor, too. He learned from his uncle Winston who ran the best shop in town. He would always give me discounts on shoes." Nami's eyes twinkle at the thought. Karmen sets the sash in her basket as Sanji places the food on the table and everyone sits down to eat. He makes sure Karmen has fresh tea and serves cake to follow the meal. Usopp is pleased to see that Karmen eats everything placed in front of her. Sanji and Chopper insist on doing the dishes, so Karmen sits under her new apple trees embroidering until the sun sets.

"We can eat those apples once they're ripe, right?" Luffy asks.

"Only the ones I give you," Karmen says. "I'm going to poison some."

"But we can eat them, right?"

"Only if you want to die, idiot," Zoro says. He looks at the secretary. "I thought you were kidding when you said that before."

"We've had a lot of enemies that are fond of apples," Karmen says. "I like the idea of weaponized food." The last of the sun's light is disappearing on the horizon. The moon is half full and the stars are showing up one by one.

"I haven't seen you pick up any nightshade."

"Hemlock, cyanide, nightshade, and arsenic are boring poisons. What's the point of an instant, traceable death? Even you don't kill most of the people you fight." Karmen looks out at the Western ocean, mind in the past and face void of emotion. There are dark clouds building and a steady rain falling far away. "I take antidotes into battle with me for a reason. I'm so tired of meaningless death." Zoro watches her for a minute before flicking her forehead. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Stop making that face. It pisses me off."

Karmen rubs her forehead, confused.

Chopper drops the anchor and Sanji begins lighting the candles. "This would make for a romantic evening if we weren't memorializing people who suffered terribly while dying," Robin states.

"You always say the nicest things," Nami mutters.

"I'd put up with the most morbid of conversations to have a candlelit dinner alone with you," Sanji chimes in.

"Maybe someday." Robin smiles. Sanji nearly swoons.

Thunder rolls over the water from the West. Karmen shivers and grips the trunk of her tree until the sound goes away. "What time is it?" she asks.

Nami checks her watch by candlelight. "Almost ten."

"We can light the incense now." As the bowls billow into smoke and more thunder carries over the waves, Karmen does her best to force the image of smoke pouring out of the barrel of a pistol from her mind. Instead, she looks at the embroidered gray eyes in her hands. They don't make her feel like Pierce would, but they recall the memory of his steady gaze which does. When she is calm, she rolls the swatch tightly and ties it with a red string, placing it on the small boat Usopp made. "I suppose I should say a few words, shouldn't I?

"I had many friends who were lost two years ago. The storm had gone on for a long time, but the ship went down quickly. There were several that I could not reach and many that disappeared into that dark sea. For a long time I felt guilty that I had survived while so many perished. There were better people than me who are now gone forever. But today, I am glad I survived. There were some moments that I thought that I too would be consumed, but by grasping the faintest thread of hope, I was able to make it here and become a part of this crew. I am extremely grateful for that. With the smallest of gestures, you all keep me afloat." Lighting the candle and incense, she places the smaller paper from her pocket with the rolled cloth and burns the other.

"What is that?" Luffy asks.

"It's a list of names of those who are gone forever from our lives, but ever present in our minds. It's a custom we had at funerals back home." Her parents never practiced it, but she did. Pierce would bring her lists of names week after week and she would burn them from her balcony in full view of the fields and ocean. It was her gesture to all those who were suffering. Those who were lost were gone, but not forgotten. It was also a prayer that the suffering would end, but at the time she had seen no way to fix anything.

Robin makes a standing loop with hands and lowers Karmen and the little boat to sea level. Karmen places the boat in the water and sends it to find its way in the grand ocean. The current finds it and carries it westward, towards the storm. "Stay afloat, little boat," she whispers. "I'll be there soon."

Instead of following the others to bed, Karmen sits under her apple trees, listening to the thunder. She bites her lip until the fear is gone. Sanji stands on the bow, smoking while keeping watch for the night. He snuffs the candles and lets the incense burn out. As she starts to fall asleep she makes up her mind. "The next time we can all sit down with some tea and have a quiet evening together, I think I'll tell you all about my home."


	24. Chapter 24: I Gave Him Tea

[Author's note: If you haven't noticed, I've been skipping the anime filler episode story lines. The cannon events of this chapter are how they played out in the manga.]

* * *

 _Ship's Log 20: Foxy Pirates_

 _We came across a place called Long Ring Long Island today. Everything here is extremely stretched. We found an old man named Tonjit who had been on stilts for ten years and were attacked by a band of "Foxy" pirates who specialize in Davy Back fighting. Groups of pirates compete for crew members and to keep their Jolly Roger. They provoked Luffy into competing by shooting the old man's horse._

 _My ankle still hurts from Skypia and walking to Tonjit's house took its toll on me, so I offered to help the old man clean up and watch over his horse until the captain dealt with these pests. I told them to tell Sanji to give them tea with scorpion venom in it, but he's not a subtle fighter and his pride as a chef will probably prevent him from taking up my offer. I made sure Usopp had strict instructions to report back everything that happens._

 _I'm still an unknown member of the crew, so my position isn't on the line. I doubt they'd want me anyway. The captured crew is supposed to pledge fealty to their new crew, but I don't have time for that kind of nonsense. These guys fish the local waters for pirates to plunder from. If I was the one captured, I would forego any sense of pirate pride. I'd poison their whole crew and come back. I don't like killing, but you can't pledge loyalty to the dead. West is the only direction I'm headed. Maybe I should volunteer as tribute and get it all over with._

Karmen takes a break from cleaning the old man's house and sits under a tree outside. Tired, sore, and slightly worried, she doesn't remember what Mihawk had told her on Skypia until a presence is already behind her. Her muscles tense as she realizes most of her toxins are on the ship and there is only one person she knows who brings a chill with their approach. "Kuzan."

"Call me Aokiji like everyone else. You've done a good job of hiding yourself, but you can give it up for now."

Admiral Aokiji steps around the house and stops a few paces from the tree she's behind. Karmen pulls her knees to her chest and hugs them but does not turn around. "Are you here to bring me back?"

"You've caused a lot of problems. He's very upset."

She looks at her feet. "Can you blame me?" Her voice is barely audible. "If I had gone with him I'd be dead right now. You know that, don't you?"

"I'm not sure if I should let you out of my sight. It took forever to figure out which ocean you were in."

Karmen is quiet for a minute. "I'm on my way back, but I refuse to stay."

"Is that so?"

"Can you tell me… if Pierce is alive?"

"He was the night you left. I don't know anything else."

"I see." Karmen breathes a sigh of relief, fighting the frustration of having a two year gap between hoping and knowing. "Thank you for telling me."

Aokiji lies on the ground, propping his head up on his hand to look at her. "So why pirates?"

Karmen smiles slightly. "That's something I've answered a lot recently. I had a friend who was headed to sea and I needed a ship, so I asked to come along too. It just happened that it was a pirate ship. I didn't think I'd get another golden opportunity like that in a long while. Who better to trust than the people who go against the government who failed to do its job? "

"Do they know?"

"Not yet. I plan on telling them, once we get a quiet moment to ourselves. But with you here and those other pirates there, I don't think today's going to do it." She rolls onto her knees to face him. "Would there be any point in asking you not to hurt them? They're good people, Aokiji."

He closes his eyes in thought. "I wouldn't be able to promise you anything."

"And me?"

He opens one eye and looks at her for a moment. "I'm not here to bring anyone back with me. I came alone on my bike. And you said yourself that you're on your way back. As long as you don't change course I don't see any reason to impede your progress." Somewhere in the back of her mind, Karmen puts Aokiji and Cobra on opposite sides of the same coin.

"I see." Karmen pulls two cups from her bag. "Would you like some tea, Aokiji?"

 _The first contest is a barrel boat race around the island. Nami, Robin, and Usopp almost won, but Captain Foxy used his Slow-Slow devil fruit powers on their boat. They chose to take Chopper. Zoro had to give the poor deer a man's pep talk. If they can use cheap tricks like that, then I'd definitely poison their whole crew. It would use up the last of my Plucharon and spider venom, but I could do it. I say this, but it's probably best that I avoided all the fishmen they had. If any of them were old Sun Pirates or slaves then it could have gotten bad for me._

 _Zoro and Sanji actually managed to work together for a few seconds in the next challenge. I wish I had been there to see it. Besides them going off by themselves to get my apple trees I can count the times those two cooperate on one hand… minus four and a half fingers. They played a form of basketball where a crewman on each side is the ball. They were able to dunk a giant fishman into the goal head first and win Chopper back._

 _I'm going to have to spend at least an hour scrubbing all the dirt and blood out of their clothes. Can't those two do anything without making a mess of themselves? Zoro is a little more understandable, but you would think Sanji would have a bit more finesse. I'm a little jealous of their monstrous healing abilities. They get the crap beat out of them and they're fine. I singe my ankle slightly and I'm limping for weeks. It's not fair. Maybe I would heal faster if I laid off the poisons for a few days._

 _The final match was Captain vs. Captain aboard the Foxy's ship. Usopp actually got Luffy to wear an afro for "power." I wonder if I would gain afro-power if I took my hair down. Probably not. I really need to find ocean worthy hair product. Foxy had all sorts of weapons. Luffy actually used his brain for once and reflected the man's slow-slow beam back at him with a broken mirror and beat him to a pulp. Today the universe seems to have lined up to make historic events occur for our crew. Instead of taking a shipwright from the pirates he took their Jolly Roger and painted his own for them. Luffy's eyesore abstract art is punishment enough for anyone._

 _They came back to the house to find Admiral Aokiji. He came here to verify Robin's location, not to capture her, but he's changed his mind._

Karmen had patiently bided her time until Aokiji had fallen asleep, which he was known to do. She had attempted to sneak away before the crew arrived in order to warn them, but she hadn't taken two steps before they appear over the hill. She gnawed her lip quietly as he froze the ocean to let Tonjit starts his way back to his people and then he decides the crew is too dangerous to travel any further. She watches in horror as Aokiji freezes various limbs of the crew and then Robin. "An Admiral and a Logia. I can't do anything against that." She remembers trying to attack Eneru and watching her pen pass right through him. "It may be a gimmick, but I could really use some sea prism." Terrified, she runs back to the ship with Usopp and Chopper, giving one last look over her shoulder at Aokiji as Nami, Zoro, and Sanji follow. There is no mercy in his eyes as Luffy buys them time to escape with Robin.

Karmen runs straight to the storage room and begins digging through the treasure. Usopp follows her. "Why do you need treasure at a time like this? He's an Admiral! There's no way we can pay him off!"

"There has to be sea prism in here somewhere! Wyper used some in Skypia, right? If I can find even one stone I can go back and help Luffy."

"Good idea. Keep looking. I'm going to go help Chopper and Nami."

Karmen inspects every statue, necklace, and ingot they had brought aboard. Some have blue stones, but none of them are sea prism. Exhausted and frantic, she collapses on the pile and rubs her swelling ankle in defeat. "Don't you die on me, captain. If anyone could survive him, it'd be you." She makes her way to the bathroom to find Robin nearly defrosted in the tub. Usopp looks at her questioningly. "Not a single pebble of it."

Karmen sits on the closed toilet and pales as a battle begins waging itself in her mind. Could she could save Luffy's life by turning herself in? Aokiji may be satisfied by appeasing a noble, but would he have enough honor to let the crew go and leave them unpursued? And if she were to be shipped back as a captive, Pierce was sure to die. But if Luffy dies, her progress West is over. Karmen stands up and is about to head to shore when Zoro and Sanji say they're going back for Luffy. Karmen stands on the prow and watches them go, deciding that if they do not return promptly, she will continue with her decision to trade herself for the crew. She gnaws a little too hard on her lip and can taste blood in her mouth. She falls to her knees as she watches them carry back the frozen captain and take him to be thawed as well.

Karmen follows them into the bathroom, watching them work to save two lives. "I could have prevented this."

"What are you talking about, Karmen?" Usopp asks. "That man is a monster. There's no way you could have done anything."

"He came to Tonjit's house while you were competing. I knew who he was and was looking for a chance to get away so I could warn you. I gave him tea. I could have poisoned him, but I didn't. I don't even know if poison works on Logias. I could have tried. If I had, then-"

Zoro grabs Karmen's shoulders and pushes her against the wall. "Listen you." He forces her to meet his eyes. "You did what you thought was best at the time. If you had tried to poison a guy like that and he caught on, you would have been killed. If he was there long enough to take a nap then we wouldn't have gotten to you in time. None of this was your fault."

"I could have done _something_. Zoro, I gave that bastard tea." She leans her forehead against his chest and cries.

"You're our secretary," Sanji comments. "It's your job to give people tea. Let us do the fighting, ok? We'll find a way to handle those guys somehow."

Unable to do anything else and relieved that Aokiji doesn't seem to be perusing them, Karmen sits next to Robin until she regains consciousness. After Sanji gives them a meal, everyone falls asleep, exhausted.

 _Valentine's Personal Log 20_

 _I'm not going to sit back and let the crew handle everything anymore. It's all I ever do and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of myself. If I had acted today instead of looking for a peaceful solution I could have saved the crew a lot of stress. Everyone's ok, but they're all scared. Well, maybe not Luffy, but he knows the strength of an Admiral now. I'm worried because I know there are so many more like him where we're going. If I had turned myself in the crew would have been saved but Pierce would have been lost and my life forfeit. If I fight, I'll die. If I get caught, we'll both die. We're so close to the Red Line now. I need to start training my Haki like Uncle Drac said. Even if it's just the observation type, I can use it to my advantage in a battle._

 _From now on I'm carrying more poison on me. I don't care how many harnesses I have to make. I've spent the afternoon sewing more clasps for bottles onto my wrist harness. I don't have very much leather right now, but we can buy some soon. Maybe I can add crystallized extracts to my outfit. I won't be able to get it wet at all, but to the people I'll be fighting they'll just look like decoration until I use them. There's a thought: Don't get wet on the ocean. Maybe I can find some kind of coating._

 _The angel's trumpet makes me sick in a different way than the bloodroot did. Maybe it's because I also added some spider and scorpion venom to the mix. Eventually I'll get some neurotoxins and sea prism. Maybe I can steal a few blue stones from the next batch of Navy we run into. This ship has to stay afloat. I've come to care for this crew too much to turn my back on them. And yet…_

 _And yet I find myself wondering what would have happened if they had known who I am. That half the reason Aokiji was here today was because of me. He changed his mind about Robin and Luffy. What's to say he won't change his mind about not taking me in as well? Would it be safer for them to know so they can prepare, or is it best for me to remain quiet and stay on the path I've been traveling?_

 _I told Sanji I'd tell them. I told Cobra I'd tell them. I told Robin I'd tell them. We're on our way to get Merry repaired. Perhaps when she's mended I can get everything off my chest and let them decide._

Karmen looks around at the sleeping crew, lowering the logbook out of the candlelight. She is about to snuff the candle when she sees Robin awake, staring up at the ceiling. Noticing the secretary's gaze, she turns her head to meet her eye. "Robin, are we going to get everyone on this ship killed?"


	25. Chapter 25: Thrasher Tuna and Haki

"What are you doing?" Usopp asks Karmen, who is standing barefoot on the bulwark with her back to the ocean and holding the ratline that goes up to the sails for balance. In her free hand she has a length of rope that she's made into an adjustable harness.

"Testing my ankle." She closes her eyes. "Be quiet, will you?" She listens more with her senses than her ears. Using Haki and reversing it are not easy to do at the same time. She stops using her reverse Haki all together to listen. Several small fish swim in the shadow of the anchor and ship. Gulls and island birds are nearby. She tunes them out until something disturbs the fish below them. As it approaches, she releases her hold on the net and kicks backwards using her right foot and dives into the water head first.

Everyone except Luffy and Robin, who are still recovering below deck, watches the water as the ripples disappear. "Isn't she still injured?" Usopp asks.

"Her right ankle is better, but her left still needs a few weeks to heal completely," Chopper says. "There was a lot of soft tissue damage."

"Should she be swimming then?" Sanji asks.

"Probably not," the reindeer admits.

"If she feels up to it, you shouldn't stop her," Zoro says. "This is probably one of her weird trainings."

"Says the guy who's nearly lifting a full ton," Usopp mutters.

"She's not coming up," Nami says.

Sanji kicks off his shoes and starts to dive in when the ship rocks as if it's being lifted from the other side. They turn around and watch a giant fish backflip over the mast. Karmen is on its back, gripping the rope harness that is now strapped through the fish's open mouth. They crash down into the ocean not far from where she had disappeared, drenching everyone.

"Is she ok on that thing?" Nami asks.

"She's a champion fish rider, right?" Usopp says. "She should be."

"It looked like she was gritting her teeth. She may be in pain," Chopper says. "Maybe we should stop her."

"Are you going to stop her?" Zoro asks him. "Last I checked you can't swim."

"Let her be," Sanji agrees. "Women hurt because they care, right?"

"What does that have to with anything?" Usopp asks.

"Nevermind." He lights a cigarette and smiles. "Is it just me or does our Karmen seem more graceful and radiant today?"

"It's not just you," Usopp agrees. As they watch Karmen, they all feel she is more physically present than they've become used to. A few wonder the reason behind this while others let it slide as her exhibiting her fish riding talents.

They watch as Karmen's fish surfaces further out, diving back in time after time and leaping high and flailing violently to try to throw her. "That thing seems aggressive," Nami observes.

"It's a Thrasher Tuna," Sanji says. "They're known for their teeth and bloodthirsty nature."

"What!" Usopp, Nami, and Chopper yell together.

"Why aren't you helping her, then?!" Usopp shouts.

"Because she has things under control," Zoro says, watching the fish leap. "She chose that fish for a reason. She hasn't fallen off once, at least above water."

"Just watch," Sanji says, pointing to where the fish lands. "If she releases her grip before she breaks the fish, she'll be torn to shreds."

"Then isn't that even more reason to go out there and help her?" Nami asks.

"We'd only get in her way," Usopp says, finally understanding. "Fish are like the waiver to her. She's the only one on the crew who can understand it and use it to her advantage. This is like her working out the controls."

The tuna leaps fifty feet in the air and Karmen presses her knee into its side and pulls the rope to make it spiral back into the water. Almost there. The water slashes at her skin as they reenter the ocean but she's used to it. She's been able to hook a rope around one of its' fins and is now working on the other side. It's too big to control the fish with her feet and her left ankle is already sore. As her lungs begin to demand air, she pulls the fish up into a sideways breach, tossing out a loop of rope as it crests out of the water and hooks the other fin.

She pulls the ropes in its mouth taunt to keep it skimming the surface as she stands and scoots foot by foot to its dorsal fin. Using it like a windsurfing sail, she holds it and leans to change the direction. The crew watches them zigzag across the water as the tuna thrashes to break her controls. Karmen ties the frontal harness to her right forearm and begins making a new loop in the excess. "Synchronize with it," she orders herself. "This is just another dance." She dials up her Haki until she can feel every muscle in the fish tensing. She's so focused on the fish that she doesn't see it head straight for another fish that is leaping out of the water.

Karmen is struck in the chest by something silver and scaly that bounces off her and back into the water. It is a small fish, but it's big enough to make her lose her balance. She falls and is drug along by the knots on her wrist. Sanji goes to jump into the water but Zoro grabs him by the collar and forces him back on deck. "Wait."

The fish spirals dizzyingly for a few minutes, but he is unable to angle himself close enough to bite her. Coughing up the whole ocean, Karmen drags herself back up with the ropes and kicks the fish's head reproachfully with her good foot. It takes her a moment to find her loop, but she manages to get ahold of the knot. She uses her Haki again, this time making sure to increase her range to include a 10 ft. radius around the fish. "Synchronize." She starts by shifting her feet to match the movement of the muscles from his tail as it slices through the water to propel them forward. She sways as one with the fish. She pushes and pulls his dorsal fin to observe how the muscles shift with the movement. When she's ready, she throws the loop in her hand out behind her and it catches the top half of his tailfin perfectly. Using her right arm to control the front of the fish and her left to control the tail like a rudder, Karmen sails the fish smoothly through the water.

Eventually, she pulls the loop on his tail over his dorsal fin and ties the excess securely to the ropes that were on her right wrist. Kneeling just behind its head, she uses all four limbs to make the fish dive and leap at her command.

"See?" Zoro says. "She's just fine."

Karmen uses the tuna to catch smaller fish for dinner. They leap over the ship to drop them on deck. When she finally reins in the fish the sky is turning a fiery orange. Using her knife, she cuts two ropes and the entire harness slides off. Karmen can tell that the tuna is going to go for one more attack, so she grabs his dorsal fin as it flips backwards. While in the air, she kicks off his back and lands on the deck, collapsing with the sharp pain that shoots through her left ankle.

Chopper runs to her with towels and fresh bandages. She rests against the mast and dries her hair as he tends to her. Sanji thanks her for the fish from the kitchen doorway where he's been cleaning them. Nami and Usopp grin widely as they barrage her with questions about fish riding, the tuna, and the harness she had made. She answers their questions with her eyes closed. After a moment, she stops them and stands. "Usopp, can I borrow your hammer?"

He pulls out his rubber mallet and hands it to her. She ties a length of the harness to the handle and spins it, waiting. "Is there something wrong?" Nami asks. Karmen shushes them and swings the hammer faster. Zoro follows her gaze out into the water. It takes a minute, but finally he sees the dark shape moving towards them.

"You're free to go and you come back for this," she sighs. "Some never learn, do they?"

Water begins to crest above the dark form and Karmen throws the hammer. It bounces off the fish's head just as it begins to breach. A goose egg forms instantly and the fish groggily sinks back into the water. Karmen returns Usopp's hammer and observes her pruny fingers. Zoro watches the dark form in the water swim away slowly. When he looks back at the secretary he has the familiar feeling that she's not entirely there. "Do you feel better?" he asks as they make their way into the dining room. He sees her eyes swing over the cots that Luffy and Robin are resting on.

"I'm not sure that's the word for it." Karmen touches her wrinkled thumb and index finger together as she sits down and Sanji places a plate in front of her. "I haven't done that in a while. I've gotten slow and I didn't get him completely. I've tamed sharks better than that tuna."

Luffy and Robin wake up long enough to eat, but go back to sleep once they're done. "How long does it usually take to break a fish?" Sanji asks, sitting across from her with his own plate.

"A fish like that should take half a day to a full one, max. Sharks can take up to two weeks. Docile fish usually take only half a day. Giant fish, whales, and Neptunians are a little trickier. You have to have the right gear or a strong bond to even get on their backs and it can take years until you trust them not to eat you."

Usopp spits his food in Zoro's face. "You've ridden a Neptunian?!" Zoro kicks his ankle and wipes himself off.

"No, but they race them in world championships. They have to have Navy warships every year because there's usually one or two that rampage."

"Fish riding is dangerous." Usopp shivers.

"People die every year," she states. "I've gotten hurt before, but never badly. I kind of wish I had at least one good scar from it. You'd show up to competitions and some of the best jockeys had puncture wound scars from bites that covered their whole torsos. A few of them were even missing limbs." No aggressive fish had ever gotten close enough to sink its teeth into her. Her father's men had made sure of that. She lost more fast fish to her security guards than she had to a broken harness. "Too bad we left Teeth behind. He would have been able to keep pace with the eels."

"Didn't he bite your shoulder?" Zoro asks.

"He scratched it, but he didn't leave a scar." Karmen pouts around her fork. "I've got one on my leg from the bounty hunter, but you can barely see it. That's something at least."

Sanji pounds his fist against the table in passionate frustration. "If that man wasn't already dead I'd hunt him down and kill him for marring your beautiful skin!"

"Are you going to hunt down Eneru, then?" Zoro asks. "That's probably going to leave a scar too." Sanji's falter is Usopp worthy.

"Please don't go chasing Logia's on my account," Karmen groans. "We've had enough trouble with them this month." Everyone looks at the two cots in the corner.

"I wonder what the natural enemy of an ice man is," Nami muses.

"One of the other three admirals is a magma man," Karmen says. "A fight between those two would be legendary."

"Two high-class marines fighting all out?" Usopp says. "I can't see that happening."

Karmen switches her Haki around to sense the sluggish blood flowing through the two sleeping people and listens to their hearts beating for a while. Sanji and Zoro sense the change in her almost immediately. They exchange a look as her presence fades again. "Don't start fighting, you two," Nami warns, misinterpreting their eye contact.

Sanji stands and gathers the empty plates. "Who would waste their energy fighting that moss-head?"

"It's not like he would even be a challenge," Zoro mutters. Electricity sparks between them as they both tense to spring at each other.

Nami punches them both. "I said don't start!" She turns her attention to the secretary. "When I was washing your hair the other day I noticed that you have a scar on your scalp. Isn't that from fish riding?"

"I didn't realize you had seen that." She touches the thin line above her right ear where her hair covers a straight, thin scar. "I don't really remember how that one happened. I got it in the wreck." Karmen's eyes grow distant for a moment as she traces the four inch line. Her fingers touch more ocean grit than scar. She yawns. "I think I'll go wash the salt out of my hair and then go to bed."

The crew watches her descend the stairs. "Is she feeling ok? I could have sworn she said she was going to bed at a decent hour," Nami says.

"She did ride a fish all day," Usopp offers.

"She scrubs this ship all day and then stays up until sunrise," Zoro counters. "Maybe her poisons are making her sick."

"I checked her new doses myself," Chopper says. "They would have made her tired when she took them this morning if that were the case. It might be stress."

"She did spend hours with Aokiji before he attacked us," Usopp says. "That would make me stressed too."

Sanji lights a cigarette and takes a slow drag. "What's going on with you, Karmen?" The question hangs in the air, unanswered.


	26. Chapter 26: Black Market, Rubber Band

_Ship's Log 21: Sea Train and Water 7_

 _We came across the seatrain tracks today. We followed a warrior frog to Shift Station and met Kokoro, her granddaughter Chimney, and Gonbe, the cat-rabbit… thing. They gave us a reference to a shipwright named Iceberg in Water 7. Kokoro warned us against government agents, so I donned my red outfit before we could even see the city. I rode a fish through the water logged streets of this city years ago. There's a shop I remember going to that I would like to visit again. I still have my share of the kidnapper's money and there's something I want to try to appraise._

 _Usopp spent a lot of time hugging the mast. I'm worried about him. We both know, but neither of us have said anything. I'm worried he's in denial. I keep hoping we're wrong, so maybe we both are. We docked Merry in a cape outside of town and the mast broke as Zoro folded the sails. I stood there biting my lip. I don't know much about ship mending, but I know she's falling apart. Usopp went with Nami and Luffy to exchange the treasure for berries and then to have Merry evaluated for repairs._

Karmen makes a pit stop at her workstation. She loads up on every type of poison she has, complete with antidotes, a bottle of ink, and ten quill pens. She hangs a dial charm bracelet full of super Plucharon around her wrist. Stepping outside, she climbs down the rope ladder and leaves the ship. "Hey. Where are you going?" Sanji calls.

"There's something I wanted to look at. I won't be long." Without further explanation, she walks into the rental shop. She rents a single seater yakuza bull and makes her first stop a mask shop. She recognizes the pins and rings of several people in town. It would be best to blend in until they depart for Aqua Laguna. With the mask on, she can roam the streets freely without anyone recognizing her. She keeps the hood on but drops the veil into her bag.

The others were going to the shopping district, but what she wants is far away from tourist attractions. Turning from the giant fountain in the center of the city, she makes her way to the back allies and run down, water-logged shops.

Eventually she finds a black market appraisal shop. "I was hoping you could tell me how much something is worth," she says, fishing out the gold signet ring and placing it on the table in front of the man.

He inspects the insignia and breaks out into a cold sweat. "This… This is real. Where did you get something like this?"

"It's mine of course." She lifts her chin slightly to look down on him. "If you lie to me I can have you killed, so let's skip all the middleman markdowns and the boot licking, shall we?"

"Are you crazy? I can't buy something like this!" He pushes the ring towards her.

She pushes it back gently. "I never said I was selling it. How. Much. Is. It. Worth?"

The man shakily picks up the ring again. "The purity of the gold alone is worth 100 million berries, but with this insignia… this ring could get you 500 million, easy."

Karmen rubs her thumb across the lips of her mask. "Interesting." She takes the ring back from him. She digs into her bag and places the matching gold seal with it. "And this?"

The man pales so much she's worried he's going to faint. "I don't want any trouble, miss."

"Just do your job and nothing will come of it."

He picks up the seal and turns it carefully in his hand. "This could get you 700 million alone. Together, and with the right authentication, you could more." He sets it carefully on the table with shaking hands. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Gallowcomb?"

"If you wish for me to leave here with both these items, tell me what you've heard of the Gallowcomb activities, including their interactions with any warlords, government, and ruling powers." She sits quietly as he speaks, toying with the seal and spinning the ring around her finger. He finishes in a cold sweat. She keeps her cold exterior, but feels sorry for the man. She wanted information, not to give him a heart attack. "You've been very helpful," she says when he finishes. "If you wish to keep your life, keep this visit to yourself." Getting up, she turns to the door.

"Wait." She turns back to look at the man. "Why would you come here, if you really are a Gallowcomb?"

She laughs softly. "To take a phrase from my uncle, I came here to kill time. Why you specifically, well, I knew one of Doflamingo's sources wouldn't dare lie to a Gallowcomb. I wouldn't mention this visit to him, either." She stops in the doorway. "By the way, if I were looking to aerosolize something, where would I go?"

Karmen returns to the ship to find Zoro standing alone on the deck. "Hey," she calls. "I thought you'd be asleep." She slings her shopping over her shoulders and lifts the mask off her face before climbing back into the ship. She rambles on about the city for a minute before she notices that the first mate isn't really listening. She sets down her bag. "Zoro?"

 _The treasure was worth 300 million berries, which would be plenty to repair and improve any ship. Mr. Iceberg sent a man off to appraise ours. He said the words I'd been dreading. Merry is dead in the water with a broken keel. Usopp was badly attacked by bounty hunters called The Franky Family and 200 million berries were stolen. I'm so furious I can hardly hold my pen to write. To add bloodroot to the tea, Robin has disappeared under mysterious circumstances._

 _I took a triple shot of scorpion venom when I heard. This turned out to be a bad idea. I threw it all up. I told myself I wouldn't cry out of helplessness anymore, but today our dear friend has received a death sentence. I climbed into the shaky crow's nest and bawled. I wanted to believe they'd be able to do something. Anything._

 _I'm worried about how Usopp will take it. He didn't come back with Sanji, Chopper, and Nami. She said he was ashamed of himself and left before they could bring him to the ship. With both Usopp and Robin gone I can't focus on Merry. I keep thinking back to the thought's I've been having the past few days. I wonder if Robin was having them too. She's not a bad person. She's just in a bad situation. I'm sure of it. As much as I hate to admit it, Zoro was right. Robin is just like me._

Karmen hears the words and her blood runs cold with fury. Usopp had gone to redeem his pride by fighting a house full of bounty hunters in an attempt to get back the stolen money. The men had carried him back bloodied and broken. And their place is just up the coast. Setting the super Plucharon dial in her teeth, she swings out of the crow's nest, grabs fresh rope, and limps to the bulwark to dive into the ocean. Zoro catches her mid-jump. "What are you going to do?"

Her eyes are cold and merciless as she meets his gaze, rage barely contained. "I'm going to kill them all."

"Look, I understand how you feel, but we already took care of them. Their house isn't even standing anymore. Were you listening to that part?" He forces her back onto the deck. She limps to the mast for support and looks into where Chopper is treating her unconscious friend.

"That's not good enough. They've caused him so much suffering, and he doesn't even know about Merry yet. Not for sure. Don't you get it? He went through all that because he believes Merry can be saved and he wanted to prove himself to us. His bond with Merry goes far beyond anything we could ever hope to achieve. He just wants to save the ship Kaya gave us. He still doesn't know!"

"Which is why it would be better for him if you stayed here to support him when he does."

Karmen grits her teeth and puts a hand on the tin plates holding the fractured mast together. "Usopp loves Merry more than any of us. He spent so many hours putting her back together. He's not going to accept that she's… that she's…" Karmen rests her head against the plate and sobs softly.

Zoro grips her shoulder supportively. "I know."

"I won't be satisfied until that man feels as much suffering as he's caused. You said his name was Franky, right?"

"Don't worry. We'll get him." Karmen removes a bottle from her wrist and pulls away from Zoro's grip. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to concentrate sunblade. I'm going to make him hurt so badly he'll beg for death." Zoro lets her go, sighing.

"She'll calm down after she's worked a while," Sanji says.

"I'm not so sure about that," he says. "Usopp's her family. She knows what he's going through better than any of us. She's suffering just as much as he is."

Inside the anchor room, Karmen sits on the floor and touches the warped wood where the Plucharon spilled weeks ago. "I'm sorry Merry. I'm sorry Usopp." She sets the chosen extract to reduce before going to sit by her friend's side.

 _Luffy has no tact. That's been known for a long time. Today, however, takes the cake. He flippantly declared his decision to get a new ship without explaining the situation to Usopp, which set him off. So when he was told, he was too worked up to listen. Even I could do nothing to calm him down. I considered deadbolting him until he came to his senses, but he would only resent me for it later._

 _His words riled up the captain. Heated words that turned my stomach were exchanged. Usopp declared he was leaving the crew. I was so shocked that I just sat on the cot while he walked out. He declared a duel against Luffy. They decided to fight for Merry at night. Zoro tried to say something to me, but I went back to my poisons._

 _Usopp put up a decent fight, but lost the duel, of course. Luffy left him Merry. The Captain apologized as he walked past me. We packed all of our things, even the trees, and spent the night in a hotel. And I-… I need some time alone._

Karmen dons her veil and goes outside, carrying the supplies she's just bought. She chooses to walk instead of renting a bull. Most of the shops are closed now anyway. The city is different in the dark. There are lights that line the streets and social clubs and bars that draw the stragglers, but the waterways are quiet. She wonders about Robin, thinking, "If she is trying to distance herself from the crew, it has to be for a good reason. She wouldn't disappear like this without a good reason." Perhaps the incident with Aokiji spooked her more than she let on.

She thinks about Merry and Usopp, which makes her lower her head and walk faster. Her mind keeps coming back to one thought. "I'm going to make him pay." Even though Karmen has never done any kind of recon operation before she has her heart set on one now. But first…

Karmen steps out onto the cape and hears the familiar muttering. She hefts her bag a little higher on her shoulder and walks up to the ladder. She looks up at the railing sadly. "Usopp."

The muttering stops and her bandaged friend peers over the bulwark. "Oh, Karmen. I thought you'd come back."

"Usopp."

"I know the rest of the crew is loyal to Luffy, but you and I are thick as thieves."

"Usopp."

"It was only a matter of time before you came back. We'll be the New Usopp Pirates."

"Usopp!" Usopp finally stops talking long enough to register the pained tone of her voice. "I… It wasn't safe for me to work in the hotel."

His face falls as he understands what she's saying, looking down at her bag. "Oh. I haven't touched your workstation, so feel free to come aboard." He turns away and does not look at her as she climbs up. Somewhere in the distance, a pinpoint of red flares and fades, but does not extinguish.

"He didn't hurt you too bad, did he? You put up a great fight. We were all impressed."

"But you're staying with them."

"Usopp," she sighs. "You were both right, but you were both wrong at the same time. Luffy should have been more sensitive about Merry, but what's going on in your head? Is that really how you think we see you?"

"Not you, but the others…"

"Usopp." She drops her veil and hood and hugs his back. "I can understand how you feel, but you're wrong." He holds her wrist. She holds him tighter. "Why did you have to challenge Luffy? Are you really not coming back?"

"I can't." He holds her arms around him a moment longer then let's go. She releases him as well.

"If things were different, I'd go with you in a heartbeat. But there's someone… There's a lot about me that you don't know. For now just know that I have a promise to keep. I have to keep traveling the Grand Line. I can't stop here, no matter how painful it is to say goodbye."

Usopp hangs his head. "I know."

"My letters to father won't be the same, and fishing is going to be boring."

"I'm going to miss you too."

Her lip trembles slightly. "If you promise to take care of yourself, I'll make us some tea."

He looks over his shoulder tearfully. "I'd like that."

Usopp makes a fire in the stove, since neither of them trusts Karmen to do it. Sanji hadn't left any food in the fridge, so she broke out a few rice crackers she'd kept in her bag for a snack.

They sit on the deck, drinking tea and talking about their adventures together and Syrup Village. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a small bottle, offering it to her. "I guess neither of us needs this anymore, huh?"

"The bloodroot antidote," Karmen breathes. She closes his hand around the bottle. "Keep it. Who knows what you'll run into. And if it just sits there uselessly in your bag, you have something to remember me by."

He smiles down at his fist and returns the bottle, pulling out a rubber band in its place. "In that case, have one of my favorite weapons."

Karmen laughs. "The infamous and deadly Usopp's Rubber Band of Doom." She slips it around her wrist. "I'll keep it even if it breaks. In fact I'll sew it into my outfit when that happens so I'll always have it close by. Maybe in the neckline, so it'll be close to my heart."

"If you keep saying things like that, Kaya's going to have competition." They both laugh.

"Will you go back, or will you keep going?"

Usopp looks up at the sails. "I'm not sure. I think I'll go back eventually, but not right away. I want to be able to stand in front of her as a brave warrior of the sea."

Karmen stands with a smile and kisses the top of Usopp's bandana. "You're halfway there already." She removes her gas mask from her bag and pulls it over her forehead. "I'd better get to work. I've got some things I need to take care of."

She spends two hours in her workstation, counting the minutes to sunrise. Before long, she had several palm sized round aerosol canisters loaded with tubes of toxins and antidotes of doses ranging from delayed to instant death. She uses the last of her leather to make a belt and lines it with the gas bombs and puts it on over her dress. She steps out onto the deck and lays a hand and forehead on the mast in a farewell to Merry. "I guess you're going now, aren't you?"

Karmen looks at Usopp, trying her best not to cry. "Take good care of her, however long she has left. For Kaya."

He nods with a similar expression. "For Kaya."

"I'll write you, so keep a few coins handy. I left some paper and a quill or two below deck."

"I'll send you whatever poison I come across," he promises back. "Oh. And tell Chopper, thanks for the medicine." They exchange one last hug and Karmen leaves Merry and the cape behind.

As Sanji watches her depart, he feels she's even less substantial than ever. With her veil back on and her embroidered Neptunians fluttering in the wind behind her she looks ethereal and shadowy. He doesn't like the tension in her white knuckles or her purposeful stride, but his eyes wander for a moment and when they return, she's gone.


	27. Chapter 27: The Wrath of a Secretary

_Valentine's Personal Log 21: No Perfect Moment_

 _I set myself up in the shadows outside the wreckage that used to be the Franky House. I increased my reverse Haki up as far as I could reasonably maintain it. Any barely conscious eye that passed over me barely registered that I was there, and if they did, soon forgot. Zoro was right. They destroyed this place and everyone in it. I don't care about them anymore. I'm not after the small fries._

 _My patience was rewarded. I've finally put a name to the face. This Franky guy is an utter creep. He walks around in nothing but a speedo, an unbuttoned tropical shirt, and hair product. I wonder what he uses to make it stand up like that. I had my finger on the release for an aerosolized deadbolt grenade that I made last night, but he had two girls with him. I'm going to have to wait until he's alone. I wouldn't have been able to attack him then anyway. He saw the destruction and instantly took off after Luffy. He knows these streets way better than I do and he has some killer climbing skills. I wasn't able to follow him thanks to my still injured ankle._

 _Something else caught my eye and ear. Mr. Iceberg was nearly killed and we're being blamed for it. The man claims Robin and a masked man were in his room when he was shot five times. Was I wrong about her? I thought she was just trying to keep her distance because she was afraid of hurting the crew. How could I have been so wrong? Was I blinded by the fact that I wanted her to be a good person, or is something else going on? I don't know what to think anymore. If things go south here and something happens to the crew, I may have to use my status to help them, granted daddy isn't too upset with me to let me use it. Maybe it would be best for me to see things out here and then make myself scarce as well._

 _I heard Luffy and Franky fought at Dock 1, so I went to see if either of them were still around. I missed them of course. They destroyed the place, which is to be expected where the captain's involved. With the Aqua Laguna coming I have to use my time wisely. If I get caught away from the crew when that massive annual tidal wave hits then I'll be in trouble. The streets are easier to travel with everyone evacuating._

 _Chopper tracked me down with a stricken look on his face. They found Robin for a brief moment. She confirmed what the town is saying about her and that she is leaving. One thing strikes me oddly, though. Her last words were "Thanks for being nice to someone like me." You don't thank people you want to throw under the ship. I'm too confused and tired to make sense of any of it right now. I sent him ahead to find the rest of the crew, saying I'd meet up with them when I was ready._

 _I've been wandering town ever since then, writing in my log because it makes me look inconspicuous. I haven't even heard the name "Franky" in hours and it's gotten dark. I was bored so I started practicing more of my observation Haki. Thinking of party tricks I could use later I decided to try mixing my reverse and synchronization techniques to pull a disappearing act. I noticed that I was able to slip through whole crowds while staying in people's blind spots. There are groups of 40-50 people that I slipped through and not one of them saw me. I can't do it for very long right now, but if I practice it, maybe I'll be able to keep it up for longer than 10 seconds._

 _As for this group of weirdly dressed men saying they're holding Usopp in some warehouse, ten seconds and a bit of sunblade are just enough._

* * *

Still bodies line the street in a path through district 6. Karmen walks in the back entrance of the warehouse, heels clicking across the stone floor. "How did you get in here?" One of the square-afro sisters says.

"Karmen?" Usopp looks up in shock.

"I'm sorry," Karmen croons like a viper. "Was that entrance supposed to be a secret? One of your boys was all too willing to tell me about it."

"What did you do to our brothers?" The other woman yells.

"Not nearly as much as I'm going to do to that one." Karmen's eyes are cold and narrow above her veil. They soften as they pass over Usopp and flare as they see the latest damage done to the ship. "Usopp _and_ Merry." She points a dripping quill at Franky. "Stop attacking my family!"

Karmen starts to run towards Franky and his sisters jump in the way. "Hold on, Karmen," Usopp stammers. "Which one is that?"

"Synchronize: Blind spot." Karmen slips by the women with ease and throws the quill at Franky. He dodges it and grits his teeth as two more come flying by him. Dual wielding, Karmen slashes fiercely, forcing Franky to lift his tattooed arms to defend himself. She sees an opening and slams the quill into his chest only to have the blade ricochet and slice her palm through her glove. The fear registers before the pain. After one quick gasp of air, Karmen crumples to the ground releasing a torrent of blood-curdling screams. Franky drops his raised fist in confusion.

"Karmen!" Usopp runs to where she writhes in pain, clutching her wrist. "Which one is it? Where's the antidote?" He's not sure she even knows he's talking. He forces her arm-length glove off and finds bright red tracks traveling up her arm like roots. He can barely hear himself over her screams. The three members of the Franky family watch in horror. He pulls her bag off her shoulder and digs through it, finding her emergency syringe collection. He pushes her veil up and forces the handle of his slingshot into her mouth. It muffles her screams slightly and gives her back some control as she bites into it. The veins start a steady procession up her shoulder. "Karmen, you've gotta help me out here."

Taking a deep breath, Karmen draws a sun on the floor with her own blood.

"Sunblade. Ok. Which bottle is the antidote in?"

She draws three shaky lines and an arrow pointing towards her.

Usopp lifts her left sleeve and grabs the third bottle from her hand. "How much?" She holds up her index finger and thumb to indicate two inches of liquid. The veins have reached her neck and start spreading across her face. She knows that if the toxin reaches her brain or her heart, she might as well be dead. Usopp fills the syringe and hesitates. "Where do I-?" Karmen forcefully snatches the needle and plunges it into her neck. The women behind her gasp. Within a span of thirty seconds, the veins stop spreading just before reaching her eye and the screams subside to labored breathing. Usopp cradles her head in his lap until she recovers.

While they watch, Franky moves over to his sisters. "Why didn't you fight back?" One of them asks quietly.

"I recognized that look in her eye," he replies in the same hushed tone. "I think that woman's been through something. She's got the look of someone who'd break if she lost just one more thing. She's only protecting what she has left."

When she can breathe evenly again, however shakily, Karmen reaches up with her good hand and pries her teeth out of the handle. "Sorry about your slingshot."

"You think I care about a few teeth marks? Don't scare me like that!" He yells. "What were you thinking?"

"Probably something similar to what you were when you challenged Luffy," she says weakly. "You said you felt that the whole crew thought you were weak. I can't even protect you, Usopp. How's that supposed to make me feel?" The sisters tear up and cover their mouths.

He grits his teeth and looks away, only to catch sight of her leg. "Your ankle is swelling again."

"Just in that spot where the burn was really deep. It's not as bad as it looks. It's just been healing slowly because I haven't let up on my immunities training. I started another training while running around town all day trying to find that guy. After the others brought you back from their house like that I…" She lays her forehead against his abdomen, unable to say more.

"You and your crazy trainings." Usopp picks up the quill carefully. "Is this what you were making last night? Since when does the sunblade do that?" He watches the veins slowly recede down her shoulder.

She shakes her head. "I was making gas canisters. I concentrated the sunblade while you were unconscious yesterday after Zoro stopped me from using the super Plucharon. Remind me to thank him for that later." She looks down to the cut on her hand. "I made it 100x the lethal dose. It was my contingency plan. My first plan was to go for a long ranged attack with the gas, but he always had those girls with him. They're not the ones who hurt you, right?"

"You idiot," he says tearfully. "If you didn't have a resistance to it you'd be dead right now. If I have to take care of myself while we're apart then so do you!" Usopp closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Listen, Franky, I know she just tried to kill you and all, but is there any way we could-" Usopp looks up and sees the three onlookers bawling their eyes out.

"She's just like you, big bro!" wails one of the women.

Karmen cocks an eyebrow at the strange man in front of her. "We're the exact opposite," she mutters, but is too weak to argue the statement any further.

"I'm really moved right now, but I gotta know," Franky says, getting ahold of himself. "Did you use that stuff on my brothers?"

"Not in that dosage. I was saving that for you. I only used sunblade on the guys I got directions from and they've been given the antidote already. I gave the others deadbolt. They're paralyzed right now, but they'll be fine for another few hours. That was my other contingency plan. We walked out of here unharmed or they didn't get the antidote and slowly suffocate. I guess I'm in no position to be making demands right now though. I really suck at frontal attacks. They never work out well for me." She sighs and flexes her right hand. "Maybe I'm only suited to be a secretary after all."

"That's not true," Usopp says. "That new move of yours is great. How many guys did you take down on the way here?"

"Maybe thirty."

"Who else came with you?"

"No one."

"You left one of your notes again, didn't you?" he says disapprovingly.

"I didn't have anywhere to leave one," she admits. "We're being hunted down because Robin shot a local hero and the rest of the crew are out chasing her. She said she was leaving us too." She holds his wrist gently. "When I heard those guys saying you'd been kidnapped I kind of snapped… again. I can't lose two of you in the same week." Franky grits his teeth around his tears. She sits up and looks at him for a moment, swaying slightly. "Thanks for not interrupting our conversation. How about a compromise, metal-man. I go give your boys that antidote and we sit down and talk this out peacefully over a cup of tea."

"Not the lemon caapi," Usopp says flatly.

"Stop showing them my cards," she grumbles, elbowing him softly.

"Sis, despite your actions, I'm not much into hitting women if it can be helped. You seem reasonable now and I like your protective instincts," Franky says. "How about some cola when you get back?"

Karmen nods and stands up, gathering her scattered supplies on the way. "By the way, I know a thing or two about battle-wear." She gives Franky one last once-over. "If anything happens to him while I'm gone, I'll be sure to aim lower or go for your back. I may not be good at frontal attacks, but I can be deadly in the shadows."

"Woman, I find it hard to believe you're just a secretary." She simply tucks her quill into her belt, sliding her glove back on as she walks to the back door.

"She's a _pirate_ secretary," Usopp says proudly. Karmen smiles and exits the way she came as the men fall back into the conversation she had interrupted.

Karmen returns a while later with the straggling members of the Franky family to find the warehouse destroyed, the ship gone, and the men missing. Mozu and Kiwi, the square-fro sisters, fill them in on CP9's attack. Karmen turns to the guys she had recently treated. "I know you guys probably hate my guts right now, but I may have just saved your lives. I can't really explain right now, but I'm going to need some rope."

Not long after, in a separate part of town, Karmen rides up to Nami standing on the back of a fish. "What's going on?" Nami fills her in on everything that's happened with Robin and CP9. "I'll go help Chopper look for the others. Aqua Laguna is coming. We need to move quickly."

The pull of the tide drains the water canals and her fish with it, so Karmen jumps onto the sidewalk and makes her way to the shipbuilding yard on foot. When she gets there, Nami and Chopper are jumping across rooftops. "Hey," a blonde, smoking shipwright says. "You're that girl who was talking to Nami earlier."

Karmen watches Nami's progress. "So we've found them, then?"

"I'm not sure. They're after something." The wind picks up and lifts her skirts. "Cover your legs you shameless woman!"

She cocks her head at him. "Everything except my legs is covered and you're making a fuss about that? Besides, I'm wearing shorts. Haven't you stepped foot in a ballroom before? Who are you, anyway?"

"Paulie. You?"

"The secretary."

"Are those guys going to be ok?"

Karmen assesses the situation as the first wave approaches. "They'll be fine. You may want to stand back a ways though."

They watch Nami, Luffy, Chopper, and Zoro make it to the bridge. "I think I'll stand over there."

Karmen stands quietly while negotiations for transportation are arranged. "You _had_ to go and get yourself taken to Enies Lobby, and by CP9 no less," she sighs to herself. She observes the crew as they make passionate speeches about rescuing their fellow crewmember who was planning to sacrifice herself in their stead. "You've given me one message, though. They never would have let me trade myself for them either, would they, Robin?" An image of a mirrored queen card forms in her mind. Her face is on one side and Robin's is on the other. "We're in this together, you idiot. Girls like us have to keep each other from getting captured. You didn't let me keep my side of the agreement."

"Are you ok, lady? It's not exactly normal for a woman to stand around talking to herself," Paulie says.

"Tell the crew I'll catch up to them in a bit, even if I have to ride a fish to get there. There are some people who I think need to be informed on the situation."


	28. Chapter 28: A Pirate's Cards

Karmen sits on the back of the Franky Family's yellow king bull on the way to Enies Lobby. "Hey! Quill sister! It's dangerous there! Come on board, will you?"

"No way!" she calls back. "I've wanted to ride one of these all my life!"

Zoro steps out onto Rocket-Man's caboose deck. "What are you doing there? I thought you wanted to kill these guys."

"We've come to an understanding," she says. "Besides, it's Franky I'm after. The guy went and got Usopp taken by government agents. If he's got even one extra scratch on him I'll turn that tinman into a tea set."

"Quill sis is scary, isn't she?" one of the guys behind her mutters.

"Zoro, is there a transponder snail on the train other than what Nami has?" she asks.

"Kokoro might have one, why?"

"There's someone I want to contact." She climbs the bull's neck and he lowers his head so she can climb aboard the train. She makes her way past everyone else and closes the engine door behind her. With a brief discussion, Kokoro gives her a transponder snail.

She puts a number into the rotary dial and waits for the connection to be made. A man's voice comes across the line. "Department code, please?"

"Apple. Tango. Religion. Doctor. Vineyard."

The man makes a sound that makes her think he's saluting the snail. "Right away, ma'am." The connection shifts and another man picks up.

"I'm afraid he's out on business, ma'am. Is there a message I can leave for you?"

She lets out the breath she'd been holding. "No. Just tell him I called."

"Yes ma'am."

Karmen hangs up the receiver. "What was that about, I wonder," Kokoro says around her bottle of alcohol.

"I thought I could get some intel that might help us. I don't trust anyone but him to give it to me."

"Who's he?"

"An old friend."

* * *

 _Ship… Train Log 1: Recap._

 _I've got nothing else to do until we reach Enies Lobby but to make sure we've got a decent record of what's happened today. Robin traded her life to prevent Aokiji's Buster Call being called down on the crew, the jerk. A covert unit of government assassins called CP9 attempted to kill Mayor Iceberg and have taken her to be killed. Merry is lost to us and we're riding a prototype sea train to go rescue her._

 _Sanji is on the sea train ahead of us with Franky and Usopp, trying to rescue Robin while we catch up. That tinman owes me for that one. I was willing to put everything aside and find a peaceful solution to our differences, but if anything happens to Usopp… there won't be any amount of metal that will save him. Luffy and Zoro made a way for us through the big wave for us to follow and have been slashing up everything that's blocked the tracks. That is, until the warrior frog Yokozuna knocked us off the tracks. The separated Franky family collected Sanji and Usopp, wearing a San Faldo festival mask, from a broken train car. Apparently Robin doesn't want to be rescued. Too bad for her. If I have to pull a Robin to save Robin I will._

 _It's going to be a huge battle once we arrive. I may not be able to write for a while._

Paulie leans against the wall, looking back and forth between the two people who are hiding their faces. "The Sniper, er… Sogeking and The Secretary. Those two are quite the pair."

"They're refusing to call themselves or each other by anything else," Kiwi sighs.

"She say they're family, but he left the crew," Mozu says. "It must be hard for him to admit he wants to help."

"Wouldn't it be harder for them to act like they _don't_ know each other?"

"Hey Kokoro, how long until we reach Enies Lobby?" Karmen asks.

"Less than ten minutes."

Karmen fills a syringe with deadbolt. "What are you doing?" Chopper asks.

"I can't fight if my ankle is giving me trouble. The cell-locking properties of the deadbolt will keep it from swelling and numb the nerves. It could stop bleeding too, in a pinch. Medicinal properties, remember? I'm more resistant to the paralysis aspect of it, so I'll still be able to move for the most part. Don't try to talk me out of it. This time I'm fighting."

Nami grins as Karmen injects her ankle. "This will be a nice change of pace. You're always training yourself but we've never gotten to see your skills put to use in battle."

"Watch carefully then," Karmen grins. "I can slip through a crowd like a ghost." Several members of the Franky family nod in agreement.

Rocket-man crashes down beyond the second gate and Karmen fades against a nearby wall to catch her breath while Zoro, Sanji, and Nami take out the main crowd. A marine points a rifle at her. "Are you a pirate too?" he asks.

"Me?" she asks innocently. "I'm just a secretary that happened to be on the train."

"Huh? A veiled secretary?" He lowers his rifle about a foot.

"How dangerous do I look?" She pokes him with a quill. "I'll be sure to leave some antidote behind." The marine falls stiffly to the ground. She tucks a small pouch into his pocket. "They should give that to you within twelve hours, okay?" She starts writing out a note.

"Secretary!" Sogeking calls. "Don't start that again, Usopp would say."

"Don't worry, I'm just giving the clean-up crew instructions on the antidote I'm leaving."

"Quill sis!" Kiwi calls. "Ride Gomorrah with us and our bro's!"

"Your quickstep technique works better in a crowd, right?" says Mozu.

Karmen smiles at them while she pins up the note, even though they can't see it. "I'll let you guys give me my opening, then. Though, I don't think I can do it with these hounds around."

"Leave it to us!"

When Gomorrah lands on the steps of the courthouse Karmen slides off and melds with the dust clouds that he kicked up. She senses several people hiding along the perimeter and slips into a nearby building. She found one of the Guilty Jury aiming a ball and chain at her friends in the square and slashes some deadbolt into his shoulder. She tucks antidote away for him and listens to a panicking guard give a report over a transponder snail that's been left open. She hears it hit the floor and footsteps retreating from it and decides to take a chance. She picks up the receiver as marines pour into the square and everyone makes their way into the courthouse.

"Hey, Robin. You can hear this, right? I noticed how you told them there were only seven members of the crew, including you. You said that so I could slip away if I needed to, right?"

"Secretary?" her voice returns distantly over the line. "Even you?"

"What are you surprised about? We had a deal. And I told you when we met that I'd poison your tea if you ever hurt the crew. If you keep this up, I'll have to follow you to Impel Down Prison to keep my word. As much as I would like to meet Warden Magellan and swap toxins, I'd prefer to leave with you here."

"Hey, hey. Hurry up. That jerk's going to come back any second now," comes a male voice.

"Is that you, tinman? I don't want you dead anymore, but I get one good shot when this is over. Though, it may be a few minutes before I get there. I got separated from the crew and they're all going to the roof of the courthouse. I paralyzed my own leg so I could fight, so stairs aren't really my friends today. Aokiji's behind all this, right? He thinks he's got the upper hand, but we're pirates with cards up our sleeves. Let's stop playing his game and get out of here together. There are marines coming, so listen. I don't care who you used to be either. All that matters are the choices you make here and now. Luffy and the crew are more powerful than any Buster Call I've ever seen. Believe in us." She hangs up the receiver and fades into the shadows as marines pour into the room. She slips out the door behind them and locks them in.

She stays faded until she's standing behind the crowd of marines in the square. "Synchronize: Blind Spot." She slips through the marines, slashing them with deadbolt as she goes. Figuring it would be difficult to slip each one an antidote packet, she dips a second quill in delayed antidote and slashes each soldier twice, letting her hands dance like little birds. Overhearing a transponder snail transaction, she finds the warrior frog at the courthouse gates. "Yokozuna, I know you've been fighting hard, but can you give me a hand getting on that train?"

As Rocket-man barrels into the courtroom, Yokozuna picks her up and throws her into the passenger car. She slams through the back door and waves a weak thanks. She feels the impacts of the rest of the crew landing on the train, the drop in her stomach as the ground falls out beneath them, and the slam of metal against her head as the train breaks through the Tower of Law.

A foul smell wakes Karmen. She jumps up and spills Kokoro's wine all down the front of her dress. Her head aches and the room is quiet. "I hate grapes," she mutters. "Thanks for that, sorry I spilled it. How long was I out?"

"Long enough for them to all run ahead." Kokoro gives her a brief summary of everything that happened.

"They probably thought I was back with the Franky Family."

"How's the leg?"

"Stiff." They both look up as the tower shakes and explosions sound far above them. "I guess it's already started. I don't think I can do anything against the CP9, but I'll do what I can. Thanks again, Kokoro."

"Happy to help," she says, drinking more.

Karmen runs off, unable to bend her knee very well now, she takes to traveling down and finds herself in an armory. Her eyes stop on a wall of blue. "This is…" She swipes a small bag and drops it into her satchel. Unable to find anything else useful to her, she continues running through the building. It isn't until four turns later that she realizes she has a destination in mind. "That's right. He told me about this place when I was a kid. Wasn't there a secret entrance to the tunnel that leads to the Bridge of Hesitation? It was below sea level, right? Oh! The boiler room! Everyone hides things in the boiler room. Why does the government always do secret things in such obvious ways? Maybe it's just obvious to me because he told me about this stuff." She makes a left turn and ends up in a courtyard. She can see the stairs leading down on the other side and runs towards them.

A government agent with a scar on the right side of his face steps in her path. "I thought I smelled you on that sniper. Pirates and a little perfume don't cover that scent."

Karmen stops running and observes the man carefully. "You're name's Cordage, right?"

"That's Corgi!" he screams.

"What an irritable man. My mistake."

"I thought the daughter of the Gallowcomb's would at least know the names of government agents."

"Don't know her. I'm just the Straw Hat's secretary," she says. "I don't suppose she could put a wax seal on a form and get Robin out of here, could she?"

"That's above my pay grade."

"Thought so."

"Intelligence passed down from Aokiji states that there may have been a high priority passenger traveling with the Straw Hats." He grins cruelly at her. He pulls out a small camera and flashes a photo. "For proof that I've located you," he explains.

"Aw. If I had known that picture was for Aokiji I would have shown some leg. Tell me, does his frozen blood ever boil?" She laughs as his cheeks turn red. "It would be a small compensation for the misinformation you're planning on giving him."

"Cut the crap, kid. I've smelled traces of your scent on that warlord for years."

"If you did possess knowledge of such a person, wouldn't it be prudent to keep it to yourself? It might just save your life."

His eyes narrow. "Are you threatening me?"

"On the contrary," Karmen says, refreshing her quills. "I'm trying to keep you alive. If the daughter of a noble was traveling with pirates, her parents may eliminate everyone who knows to keep it quiet. However, if the warlords that are fond of her, oh two or three of them at least, caught wind of her being captured… well, it wouldn't go well for the person responsible, especially if that person was a lowly dog like you."

"I'll be protected, so long as I turn you in." He pulls out a pistol and aims it at her.

"So you plan on bringing me in alive by shooting me?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Tranquilizer bullets, standard issue. They come in handy in my line of work." He motions with the pistol barrel. "You did something to those quills, right? Be a good girl and drop them."

She sighs and does as she's told. As they fall, she feels a tug against her left wrist and laughs softly. She had modified a gift. "If you could smell me on Sogeking, then it means you should be able to smell him on me as well." She pulls the rubber band over her hand and gives it a few test tugs. She had soaked it in a blinding poison the night before. "If you're not going to use real projectiles on me then I won't either."

"I know you're out of options, but a rubber band? What kind of weapon is that supposed to be?"

She grins while aiming carefully, thankful for all the target practice she had done with the boys in Syrup Village. "One of my little brother's favorite weapons. Usopp's Poisoned Rubber Band of Doom!" She releases and it flies straight into Corgi's right eye. Blinded, he squeezes the trigger as he lifts both hands to cover his eye. The bullet barely misses her shoulder. Karmen takes up her quills and runs towards him. "Synchronize."

Resolving himself, Corgi levels the gun at her again. His aim is off due to his dominant eye being incapacitated. She senses the angle of his arm muscles and foxtrots to the side of the bullet's path. Alternating between lunges with her good leg, quicksteps, and lock-steps, she is able to use this technique to dodge the next four bullets. There's only one bullet left in his revolver and she's not close enough to get a good shot in. If she can get him to fire off the next round she can rush in and take him out. All her assets are in position and his hand is tensing to pull the trigger once more. If she could only bend her knee a little more… Think. Think.

She cockily places her hands on her hips and picks a canister off her belt. "Have you ever been covered in ants before? It sucks." He shoots the last bullet as she leaps into a horizontal flip over it. "Aerial spiral!" She thumbs the release on the grenade and throws it at his feet. He sputters and coughs as the gas envelopes him and steps backwards to escape the white cloud. She lands stiffly and watches his pupils constrict as it begins to take effect. Corgi empties the shell from the pistol chamber. His hand keeps twitching as if he's trying to fling something off. He itches his ear against his shoulder and scratches his side. Soon he'd be writhing on the ground trying to stop the sensation of thousands of insects crawling over his flesh.

"So I'm a little itchy," he says, though she can see sweat forming on his forehead as he wills himself not to give into the nail clawing madness. "You get your wish. I'm out of special bullets." He fits another bullet into his gun. Karmen is only feet away from him now. His hands twitch spastically as he tries to control his impulse to claw off his own skin. Karmen picks a moment when he's distracted by an itch on his left shoulder blade. Had her leg been mobile, she would have darted in low and fast to pull a rising slash up his chest, but she does not have that kind of luxury and compromises. She gives one final push with her right leg and leaps at him with her arms crossed for a slash. He pulls the trigger as she cuts poison into both his hands.

Karmen coughs up blood as pain tears through her side. She crumples to the ground where she lands and watches Corgi hit the dirt beside her, arms still extended in front of him and mouth gaping open in surprise. His finger is locked on the trigger of his gun. Karmen puts a hand to her abdomen. It pulls away bloody. "Uncle Drac was right. I need more training. They'll definitely retaliate if they find out about this. I really do suck at frontal attacks. They never work out well for me." She sighs and checks her stomach again. "I guess I should at least stop the bleeding." She pulls a syringe from her bag and injects the wound with a large dose of deadbolt. "I can't stay here with you, Corgi. There are people waiting on me up ahead. You guys won't even be able to keep a lowly criminal in your custody. What ever made you think you could capture a noble? You barely slowed down a deadbolted secretary. I may not make it much further myself, though. It seems I'm reaching the limit of my tolerance." She sets a small bottle of antidote in his curved palm and walks forward as she starts to lose mobility in her waist. She hopes the sensation of ants that he can't scratch away will drive him mad before anyone finds him.

Her chest is starting to feel tight as Franky runs by her at the stairs leading to the boiler room with two keys in his hand. He stops and runs back. "Yow! Little sis, you hurt?"

Karmen presses her hand over the hole in her dress before she looks down at herself and shakes her head. "Kokoro spilled wine on me earlier. I'm just winded from running. If those are the keys to Robin's cuffs, don't stand around here talking to me."

"Don't let yourself get too bogged down." He looks at her for a second more before continuing on his way. She watches him go.

"Where does that jerk get off calling me little sis'? Maybe I should give myself the antidote soon. It's getting hard to breathe." Despite the deadbolt it still hurts to move and she can't seem to take a full breath. She thinks about her situation as she makes slow progress down the stairs. The only problem with that plan is that she has to time the antidote against her wound. If she reverses the effects too soon, she'll bleed out. If she reverses the effects too late, she'll become too paralyzed or weak to give herself the antidote. But eventually she has to get above sea level, meaning there are ascending stairs at the end of the passage. She hears the cannons start above her head as she reaches the flat tunnel. She'll risk it. Calculating the time it will take to kick in, she injects her thigh.

When she can run again, she hears footsteps behind her. "Dress lady!"

Karmen looks over her shoulder. "Chimney? Kokoro? Gonbe?" She sees horns tied to Kokoro's hat. "Chopper?" She's momentarily glad she stopped the bleeding on her own. "Is he ok?" She keeps her pace a ways in front of them, not wanting them to catch sight of the blood.

"He'll be fine," Kokoro reassures her. "The others won't be too far behind. I ran into an old friend of yours outside. He said he owed you for a challenging day."

"Who are you talking about?"

"A big fish that you hit with a hammer."

"The thrasher tuna? He followed me all the way here? I only rode him for a day. How irked is he?"

"He's not. He actually enjoyed himself the other day, but with his species if he loses a challenge, then they're hell-bent to make it up."

"So he wants to eat me."

"He considered it, but he finds those warships an even bigger challenge and thought you'd know the best way to fight them."

"This fish isn't making any sense."

"He said he'd give you a lift if you'd like. He's waiting just above this tunnel."

Karmen takes stock of her wounds again and considers the risk. The layout of the building is fresh in her mind and she knows she can be outside and in the water in a matter of minutes. "Thanks." Sliding into a reverse step, she turns around and starts running in the opposite direction. She passes Nami and tells her to keep going. It doesn't register until now that Kokoro said she was able to speak to a fish. She sees Zoro, Sanji, and Sogeking as she's exiting the boiler room. "Keep going. I've got a plan. I want reports later, ok?"

"Right."

Outside, she sees a dark form in the water. "You need my help challenging the warships, right?" The dark form circles. "Well I need your help with mobility. If you can't smell it, I'm not doing too hot right now." The form circles again. "You'll have to listen to me without a harness and refrain from eating me for a few hours. I'm sorry I'm not in a position to be more of a challenge." The tuna's dorsal fin breaches impatiently. "Right. I'll leave it to you then." She walks to the end of the dock and steps off into the water.

In her pain and paralysis, Karmen can't find the right muscles to swim in order to even keep her head above water. She sees red billowing around her. She can't tell if it's her skirt or her blood. She extends her hands in an attempt to push through it and feels a fin press itself into her palms. Karmen grips it and finds herself standing on the tuna's back being pushed above water. She taps her foot in appreciation. "Let's start with a few rudders."

They cripple the first one and then watch as Luffy and the other warships demolish it. "But we worked so hard on that," she whines. She senses the fish tense in excitement and stomps her foot. "You can't challenge the captain. He'd have Sanji grill you up for dinner in a heartbeat." The fish flips his tail indignantly, but circles around to find another ship. They dive to avoid cannon fire.

That's when Karmen sees the gash inside the wall of the bridge tower's base. Leaning more than angling, she steers the fish closer to the wall. She has to keep herself from gulping in water as she remembers that the crewmembers which had been in the tunnel could mostly swim. Feeling the stiffness in her abdomen, she knows she would have drowned had she tried to swim free of the flood on her own. The tuna bucks slightly to get her attention, flipping his nose towards Kokoro dragging the crew to the end of the bridge. Karmen pats the fish's spine in silent thanks.

He breaches so she can breathe and heads for the closest ship. "They've done what they needed to, let's help them out in our own way, right Fin?" She sees his eye roll back, questioning the name. "Well I have to call you something. Anyways, I've got a few tricks on my belt if you can get me deck level with some of those ships." She dons her gas mask. As Fin leaps from the water, Karmen throws two canisters onto each ship: one poison, and one delayed antidote. She saves the more potent canisters for the ships with larger opponents to keep the same effects without them becoming lethal. They made sure to make a big enough splash upon reentry to douse any power holders. Fin takes a bite out of each rudder they pass. "Fin, we're barely making a dent in these things."

As the battle rages around them, Karmen hears a voice clearer and clearer. She wonders if she's lost too much blood and she's hallucinating now that her wound has started to seep again, but something about it seems familiar. She takes her gas mask off to get a better view. "Let's have an adventure, one more time. Come into the sea."

"Oh that beautiful ship," she exclaims breathlessly. "Fin. Take me there. Take me to _Merry._ " The fish leaps over the caravel and she lets go of his fin. She feels a rib or two dislocate as she hits the sides of the crow's nest. "Hello, dear. Your timing is impeccable. Thank you." She watches everyone board, including Robin, and waves happily. Holding onto the flagpole for support, she salutes warships with a quill as they pass.

When no navy ship can be spotted, the tension leaves her body and Karmen falls over the side of the crow's nest. She slides down the sail and lands on top of Usopp. "Karmen!" He cradles her head in his lap and holds her hand.

Chopper runs over and inspects her wound. "You've lost a lot of blood. I'll start treating you right away!"

"Sorry for not saying anything. I got injured after being cornered by a government agent in the tower. I think I finished him with a sort of Onigiri." She coughs blood into her veil and pulls it away from her face, showing her friend the band on her wrist. "Usopp, I'll have you know that your rubber band saved my life. If it's all the same with you, I think I'll hang onto it for a little while longer."

Usopp gives her hand a squeeze. "I'll give you as many rubber bands as you want, so don't die on me."

She smiles weakly at him. "This is nothing. Let Chopper work. Don't put me out, please, doctor. After today, I'm sure I'd have terrible nightmares." Karmen stays awake throughout the procedure and listens from her cot in the kitchen as the crew discusses Merry's mysterious arrival.

"They'll understand eventually," she says, patting the wall. "I'm sorry for all the times I missed the boxes in the store room during target practice, and all the poison I spilled in my workroom. I wish I could have shown you the dances of the North Blue. You are, have been, and always will be, the perfect ship." It may be the blood loss, but Karmen swears the wall becomes warm beneath her hand.

The Galley-La ship comes and they say their farewell to their broken ship. Karmen watches the ashes from the burning hull mix with the falling snow from her propped up position in the corner of the small boat they'd been given. Though she had put her hood and veil back on to leave Merry, she pulls them off and has Usopp help her to her feet. "Don't push yourself," he says softly.

"I don't want the last Merry sees of me to be me hidden and beat. I'm not going to say goodbye while hiding my face. I'm our pirate secretary, after all." She looks back to the ship as Merry says her farewells, recounting all the nights she sat in the crow's nest due to nightmares, talking to herself in the workroom, all the hours spent cleaning to keep her nerves at bay, and slicing up the sandbag's course only to make a new mess to clean up. "Thank you for bringing us this far."

When Merry is no more than smoldering rubble in the water, Karmen lets herself sink back down. Paulie and the others tie ropes to the ends of the boats and haul them aboard the larger ship. Karmen allows herself to sleep as she's carried to a bed below deck.

When she wakes, she is in a Galley-La building in Water 7. Robin is sitting in a chair next to the bed, holding the logbook. "Good afternoon, Karmen. We decided to let you rest and filled in everything that happened at Enies Lobby for you," she hands the book to the secretary. "Those last lines you wrote surprised me a little bit: If I have to pull a Robin to save Robin I will. I didn't know you were so fond of me. Don't worry, my entry is first, so I'm the only one who saw it." She flicks her hand and produces an ace of spades from her sleeve, laying it on the book. Karmen gives her a knowing smile.

"You used my name."

Robin stands and opens the door. "Everyone, she's awake."

The crew pours in, noisy and boisterous as ever. She welcomes the activity and opens the log to Robin's handwriting. Usopp sits on the stool next to the bed while Chopper checks her vitals and gives her a dose of pain medicine. "Your body may have trouble adjusting, but I'm not letting you take any poison for a week so you'll heal," the reindeer says.

"Can't we do half a week?"

"Listen to him, Karmen," Usopp says, holding her hand. "Maybe you're ankle will finally heal too."

"You do have a point, little bro." Karmen read's Chopper's entry. "You fought hard for us. The least I can do is lay off the physical trainings for as long as you recommend, brave Dr. Chopper."

"Idiot! You think it'll make me happy to have you praise me?" He dances gleefully.

She turns the page. "Sanji, why does yours have so many partial sentences?"

"He kept trying to write love poems," Robin explains.

"She kept taking the pen while I was attempting to profess my affection for you," Sanji says as she reads through his section and moves on to Nami's. "I remember every line I was going to write, so I'll proclaim them over tea later. Do you love me now?"

Her eyes widen as she reads a certain line. She holds Usopp's hand tighter. "Sanji, you… saved Usopp and said all this?"

He drags coolly on his cigarette. "I couldn't let a pretty woman mourn, could I?"

"For this, I will gladly listen to hours of your poetry later."

He grins. "It's a date."

"I can't wait to read about… Zoro, your battle took out half the tower and all you have written is 'I beat the giraffe man on the path of Asura.'" She observes his wounds. "There are a few details missing."

He shrugs. "Curly brow took up most of my space with poetry and I was ready for a nap."

"Please give me a detailed report later. This stuff is important, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. You just get better first."

"Nami, you'll have to show me that mirage technique later. It sounds amazing. Thank you for including so many details." She turns the next page and her jaw goes slack. "Luffy, why did you draw your fight?"

"Writing it would take too long. Besides, pictures are more interesting."

She flips through the bad illustrations, unable to say anything that would reduce his proud grin. "Thank you for your contribution, Captain."

"You always work so hard while we recover that we thought we'd return the favor." Nami and Robin pull something long and red out of a box.

"You were able to save my dress?"

"Not all of it," Usopp admits.

"We had to replace the torso and veil. It turns out the Galley-La guys are pretty good at sewing," Robin says.

"I provided your measurements," Sanji beams.

"Don't worry," Nami says. "We wouldn't let him make any modifications."

Karmen cuddles the fabric as they fill her in on what's happened while she's been asleep. As the pain medicine kicks in, she starts to get tired and the crew slowly makes their way out. Karmen holds Usopp back a little longer. "What are you going to do now that Merry's gone?"

"I'll figure something out," he says softly.

"I hate to say it, but part of me is relieved she went the way she did. If you had tried to take her out…"

"I know."

She sees something sticking out of his bag. "Is that your Sogeking mask? Can I see it?" He hands it to her and she rubs her fingers across the missing sunbeam on the side. She picks up her veil and compares the two objects. "Why is it that you and I become brave when we hide ourselves from the world? When I'm the Secretary, I feel I can be who I really am." She sees the face he's making and pushes the mask back towards him. "If it's of any consequence, Sogeking has always been a part of you. Even if it was for a short time, I'm glad I was able to see the man I know you are."

"Karmen, you said before that there was a lot that I don't know. Is there something you need to tell me?"

She smiles softly as her eyelids droop. "You have a nice singing voice. You should sing more often."


	29. Chapter 29: The Shopping Secretary

"You look better already, little sis."

"It would seem I heal faster when I'm not poisoning myself."

"Well no matter what you brought those vials for, I can't say I can willingly let you attack my back." Franky crosses his arms and stares down at her.

"I thought I'd aim below the belt, actually."

"Quill sis, I know you're still angry about what happened to Usopp, but-" Karmen cuts Mozu off by dropping all her poisons on the ground.

"Listen here, tinman. I've spent a whole day listening to mushy poetry and eating sweets with a smile on my face, thanks to a promise I made to our chef. I'm in the mood to spout a little poison." She steps forward and grabs his ear, drawing the surprised man close. "You pride yourself on being freaky, but let me tell you something. I've seen a few freaks where I'm from and you're nothing in comparison. The only freaky things about you are your outdated parts, lack of fashion, and your inability to keep a rhythm." She continues in this way for several minutes. By the time she's done Franky is on his hands and knees in depression and his family stand around shocked.

"That's going too far, Quill sis!" Kiwi cries.

Franky holds up a hand to them and stands, taking a deep breath. "You promised a low blow and you delivered. Is that all you wanted?"

"No, actually." She digs in her bag and tosses him a small sack.

Franky opens it and scowls. "What is this?"

"Sea prism powder I swiped it from the armory in Enies Lobby. Rumor has it you're a wonderful engineer, so I thought I'd ask you to make me something." She hands him a folded piece of paper tied with a red string. He unfolds it and raises an eyebrow. "I'll pay you of course. To be honest, I was impressed with the reports the crew brought me on your battle gear. Something like that shouldn't be any problem for you, right?"

Franky grins and tucks the document into his stomach. "Something like this will be a piece of cake. Yow!" He does a little dance.

"Then I'll leave those poisons there for you. Don't touch them with your hands. They might rust you." She turns to leave.

"Hey, sister. We're even now, right?" He strikes a pose.

"We are," she agrees. "But I can't speak for the rest of the crew."

"I've got something in mind for that. I'll go back with you."

When they return to the Galley-La housing Karmen sees trees being carted towards their building. "My apples!" She takes a flying leap into the cart and hugs the trunks. "Franky, you go on ahead. I'm going to stay here for a while."

"Miss," says the man who had been pulling the cart. "We were going to deliver them to the building for you."

"Here is fine. Nami will love to see her tangerines, so take the rest on ahead."

Franky examines her. "Didn't that jump hurt your stomach?"

"I'm too happy to be in pain from some bullet wound right now. These trees were gifts from people very important to me."

"I can make something out of them, if you'd like."

She glares at him over her veil. "Touch them and you'll wish you were dead."

"I'll go talk to the others then."

Karmen is sitting with her trees when Vice-Admiral Garp breaks down the wall to greet his grandson. Sensing no murderous intentions as she approaches the rubble, she pulls out her log and begins writing down the key points of their transaction, thankful that she wore her battle gear to speak with Franky. "Who are you?"

She turns to see a pink-haired soldier looking at her. "I'm their secretary." She peeks in again at Garp. "He's still just a scary man, right? No new devil fruit powers or anything?"

"Nope. Just his insane strength," the soldier responds cheerfully.

"That's a relief. My weapon isn't ready yet." She jots down a few more notes. "It looks like they're going to be a while. Would you like some tea?"

The Sergeant-Major refuses politely, so she fades and steps inside to pour some for herself. As the conversation continues, she only gives a slight downward tilt of her chin when she hears that Luffy is the son of Monkey D. Dragon the Revolutionary. When the wall is repaired, she lays down in bed.

Usopp shakes her awake a while later, wearing his Sogeking mask. "There's a party happening down at the pool with lots of food. You should come join us."

"Why am I always injured when we celebrate things?" she moans. "Go on ahead. It looks like Chopper left some medicine for me to take." He promises to keep Luffy from eating all the meat and does as he's told. Karmen realizes she fell asleep with her veil on and leaves it on her pillow with the sash and glove. Feeling a chill in the air, she puts her super Plucharon bracelet on and grabs a quill. As expected, she finds Aokiji standing outside. "We've had a rough week and half of it all points back to you."

"You seem angry."

"Of course I'm angry! How dare you put Robin through all that!" She squeezes the quill in her hand. "I swear if you do anything else…"

"Relax. I just stopped by to make sure you weren't gravely injured. Obviously I have nothing to worry your father over, other than the fact that you've clearly thrown your lot in with them."

"I'll tell father myself."

"Is saving a man who's probably already dead worth all this?"

"If I can survive being shot, so can he."

"Two years is a long time, Karmen."

"It's more than you ever did for him. For any of them. Cause anything a noble does gets swept under the rug and anyone who falls in their path is just an unfortunate casualty that the navy turns a blind eye to. The government's even worse. They practically encourage it. Do you know how many people I've seen die because you and your kind did nothing?!"

"The navy has its limits in those matters, even if we don't agree with them."

"There's your 'lazy justice' speaking again. If justice has its limits, then what about human decency? Or did you lose that a long time ago too?" She sticks her quill into her belt and walks past him. "If I have to be a pirate to save Pierce, then so be it. Next time, I won't offer you tea." She knows she's gambling on the fact that he'll just let her walk away, but when she finally takes another breath she knows it's a gamble she's won.

Calming down outside the walls by listening to Usopp's singing, she puts on a weak smile and enters the crowd. Sanji runs up to her with shish kabobs. "Karmen, did you get enough rest? You look pale."

She smiles more convincingly and takes the food. "I'm fine. I just overexerted myself earlier when I went to speak with Franky."

"Then just sit down wherever you like and leave the entertainment to me."

"You shameless woman! Cover your shoulder!"

What? Paulie? You're upset over one shoulder?" She gives the foreman a slow twirl. "Thanks for fixing my dress. It fits great." He turns red and starts spouting nonsense.

"Quill sis! You're finally showing us your face!"

"I had to wear the red dress to be sure you'd recognize me." She gets drug off to a table near where Usopp has started shooting off fireworks. She observes the giants for a while and leans over to Nami. "We need cups big enough to serve guys like that."

"Don't worry," she says. "We'll go shopping tomorrow. Stop thinking about work and party."

Karmen stands and waivers, still a little dizzy from blood loss and lack of her usual toxins. Her abdomen is sore from walking so far earlier. "Chopper! I need some deadbolt."

"No poison, Karmen!" he calls back cheerfully. She groans loudly. "No alcohol either. It'll give you a bad reaction to the medicine."

"Medicine gives me a bad reaction to medicine." She'd already had a few nightmares. She's glad she hadn't screamed and gone crazy this time. The crew would have restricted her activity even more. Karmen looks to where Zoro is chugging mug after mug with Galley-La guys. "Can't dance, can't drink, can't eat another bite. The next celebration we have, I'm going to go nuts."

The next morning Nami finds nearly all the money spent on the party. Karmen smiles and tells them to go on ahead and spend the remaining money to prepare to leave Water 7. She still has a bit of money left after her last shopping trip and the little she was able to do at the party last night left her pretty sore. She sleeps most of the morning, only waking when Chopper gives her medicine or Sanji gives her food and tea. She has a fever, so Chopper has her stay in bed as much as possible.

By mid-afternoon, Karmen feels rested and bored out of her mind. When Chopper and Sanji aren't looking, she fades and sneaks outside. She retrieves her bag and mask and dons a cloak that she finds in the hallway. She checks to make sure she's got her money on her and rages silently to see that her bag has been emptied of any poison. She wants to yell at Chopper, but that would blow her escape. Feuding silently, she exits the building and makes her way to the shopping district.

Finding a ceramics shop, she steps inside and examines the cups. There is only one cup in the entire store that would suit a giant's hands. The price tag spikes her fever a few more degrees. "50,000 berries for one cup?! You could buy a sword for that price! Hey, shop-keep. I'm the Straw Hat's secretary. Give me a discount on this."

"Nice try. All the reports say there's only seven members," the old man behind the counter says.

"There's only seven combative members. I don't join many of the battles." She takes off her mask. "Don't you recognize me? I was the one in red at the party last night."

"Lady, a lot of people were wearing red."

"Listen, buddy. I got shot at Enies Lobby. I had to sneak away from our doctor and chef so that I could come buy this cup for our larger guests that we run into on our travels. I didn't even get to bring any poisons with me. When they find out I'm gone they'll never let me out of their sight. Work with me here."

"Sorry sweetheart. The price stays where it's at."

She slams her mask down on the counter. "Do you even know how much giants have to spend on food and clothing alone? How can you charge so much for a single cup, you racist jerk!"

"Karmen, don't kill the salesman." A swordsman steps into the shop. "What are you doing out of bed? I thought you had a fever."

She relaxes a little bit, which leaves her wobbling. "I couldn't kill him even if I wanted to, Zoro. They took my poison."

"You heal faster without it, right?"

"I'm having withdrawals, that's why I'm sick. My body's so used to the toxins that it's going into shock because I haven't had any in three days. It's making me irritable and this jerk is charging too much for the cup I snuck out to buy."

Zoro eyes the cup. "How were you going to carry that thing back with your wounds?"

"I was going to make him deliver it, but he doesn't even believe I'm part of the crew. I know I'm really good at avoiding the navy and I usually end up stuck somewhere while you guys fight, but this is ridiculous." Karmen leans against the counter in defeat. "There probably won't even be a wanted poster for me when the new ones come out."

His large hand presses to her forehead. "Your fever has definitely gone up." Zoro glares darkly at the clerk. "We destroyed Enies Lobby to get back a crewmember. What do you think happens when one of us finds out someone's worked our injured secretary into this state?"

The clerk shrinks behind the counter. "F-Five thousand berries." Karmen still wishes she had a quill to stab him with, but it's much better than it had been. She slaps the money down on the counter.

"Wait here," Zoro orders. Karmen inspects the cup while she waits for him to come back. It is obviously well made, but there is no decoration at all on its white surface. There is no way in Impel Down it's worth anything close to 50,000 berries. She tries to glare at the clerk, but her vision waivers. Zoro comes back in and picks up the giant cup with one hand. "Galley-La's giving us a cart to use. Let's get out of here." He puts the cup on the cart and Karmen climbs into it, laying on her back. Zoro starts pulling them both down the sidewalk. She takes samples from gardens that they pass. Soon her lap is filled with flowers. "You snuck out to buy a big cup?"

"We need at least one. Two would be preferable but that was the only shop in blocks that had one that size."

"Why didn't you send out one of us out to get it for you?"

"All the money went into the party and I was bored to death. Where are you going?"

Zoro turns the corner and finds the ocean. "I thought this was the way back to Galley-La."

Karmen grins. "This is perfect. Keep doing exactly what you're doing. I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when we get there."

"You Onigiri an enemy and nap all day. I think I'm rubbing off on you."

"It works. Leave me alone."

"What's with the mask and cloak, anyway? Did you spill something on your dress last night?"

"Laundry day exists for a reason. I know you guys only wash your own clothes once every two weeks or so, but women prefer it a little more often. Speaking of which, your stomach scarf is due for a scrubbing." She sits up in the cup. "And I was sneaking out. I didn't have time to change while Chopper and Sanji had their backs turned. " She opens the cloak to show him her pajamas. "Besides, red is really noticeable."

"Quill sis! He's finished!"

"Looks like you were noticed without being in red."

"You and the cup kind of draw attention." Karmen lifts a hand and waves at Mozu and Kiwi. "Be a dear and follow them, will you? I asked Franky to make me something."

When they arrive at Scrap Heap Island Franky tosses her the bag of poison she'd left him. Zoro catches it. "Does she look like she's in any condition to catch dangerous things?"

"What's the matter, little sister. You look terrible," Franky calls.

"I made a crappy promise to our doctor." She leans over the rim of the cup, more in dizziness than from pouting. She watches Zoro dig through the bag.

"Karmen, what were the exact terms of your agreement with Chopper?" the swordsman asks.

"I promised that I would not dose myself with any toxic substances for a full week, of which I have four days left."

"That's what I thought." He flicks his wrist and a drop of liquid flies into her mouth. She swallows in surprise. "My hand slipped. No promise broken."

"Scorpion venom, medium grade, concentration level 4, and no delay. Good choice." He gives a satisfied grin as the poison starts to work. Karmen stretches as her vision clears. "For a master swordsman you can be so careless sometimes," she teases. "You're such a dear."

"Oh I get it," Kiwi says. "Poison is her cola."

Flowers rain out on the cart as Karmen climbs out of the cup and walks to Franky. "I wasn't expecting them so soon."

"I finished it this morning." He holds up a flat wooden box and opens it for her. Inside, resting on a purple velvet lining, are two metal quill pens. The bit arches into a rotating grip that elegantly flows into plumes of silver feathers. "As requested, the alloy is infused with the sea prism dust you provided. Each feather is detachable and holds a different poison or antidote. Pull on a feather to load them into the revolving chambers or toss them like knives. Replacement capsules are beneath the cloth."

Karmen balances one quill on the end of her finger just under the feathers. "They're weighted nicely." Taking both quills, she flips them around her hands and behind her back before throwing one at a dismantled mast. The quill fully buries itself in the wood up to the grip. She pries it out and notes that the sharp edges of the pen are not damaged in the slightest by the impact. Happy, she places her new weapons back in the box. "How much?"

"You already payed for them. I traded the rest of the sea prism dust for the materials." Paying with stolen materials. Nami would be proud. "As for the workmanship, take it as my apology for what happened with your little bro."

"They're perfect." Karmen hugs the box to her chest. "Franky, you are fa-reak-ey."

He grins. "Glad you finally noticed. Yow!" He dances for a few moments with his sisters. "Well, I've got to get back to building the ship. I'll see you in a few days."

"Thanks again, you freak of machinery!"

Zoro tows the cart back into the city with Karmen in the cup. "If they find out those things are loaded with poison, they'll take them too."

Karmen hugs the box tighter. "I won't use them on myself, so I won't tell if you don't."

"What you do is your business. Why do you need sea prism infused weapons anyway?"

"We've run into two Logias in less than a month. The next time I take a wild dive to save a crewmate, I want it to actually count for something. It's the next left, by the way."

"Maybe if you can sneak up on one." Zoro pulls up short and turns down the next street. "What are you going to tell those two when we get back?"

"That I went out for a little fresh air and found the Zoro Express?"

He chuckles as they pass through the gate to their building. "Karmen!" Chopper runs out of the front door. "You're too sick to be outside!"

"Don't worry, Chopper," she grins happily, opening the box and showing him her metal quills. "I found my cherry blossoms."

He looks between her and the box a few times and feels her forehead. "It's true that you're fever's gone down. Are you really feeling better?"

"Yes. Thanks to your wonderful care and Zoro threatening a clerk." She pats the rim of the cup. "Isn't it wonderful? Now we can serve tea to giants."

"Make sure you wash it after you sit in it," Sanji says, carrying a bag of groceries through the gate. "If you had fun, then I can forgive you for sneaking out and making us worry."

"It's not like you could be mad at her anyway, stupid chef," Zoro mutters.

"True, you dumb moss-head." Karmen walks inside as Zoro carries in the cup behind her.

"So that elephant sword Spandam used was made by Dr. Vegapunk?" Robin asks.

"It sounds that way, from what I heard," Nami replies.

Karmen doesn't know she's falling until she hears ceramic clatter against the floor and Zoro is catching her. "Hey. I thought you said you felt better."

Karmen fights back nausea. "Sorry. I was caught off guard is all." She stands with his help and comes up with an excuse. "I got so distracted by our shopping trip that I didn't realize my pain medicine was wearing off. Thanks for catching me. I would have pulled a stitch if you hadn't." She lays down in bed and turns towards the wall, curling into a ball beneath the blanket. Chopper runs to get her medicine. Dr. Vegapunk, she thinks with a sigh, it's so hard not to dislike you on principle, no matter how brilliant you are.

After Chopper treats her, she takes a quill out of the box and removes a feather. Just as it was designed, the feather holds a small capsule of poison and can be thrown as a dart. She removes the capsule and thinks about using the bedpost for target practice. Zoro catches the look in her eyes and takes all the pieces from her. He reassembles the pen and puts it back into the box, setting it on the end of her bed. Sighing, she lays down and looks up at the ceiling and thinks about the call that didn't go through on the train.

"I saw Usopp while I was out," Sanji says. This draws her attention. She hadn't seen him since the party. As the crew discusses their protocol if Usopp does attempt to rejoin without apologizing, Sanji and Zoro observe Karmen's face become pale. "You need to go along with this too, Karmen. I'm sorry."

"No. You're right. It turns my stomach, but you're right." She rolls to the wall again. "I trust him to man up when the time comes." She holds the rubber band he'd given her. He'd better.


	30. Chapter 30: Part of the Crew

Karmen hears Mozu and Kiwi burst into the room saying the new ship is finished. Groggy from last night's medication, she takes a few minutes extra to get dressed and follows them out front. She's still rubbing sleep from her eyes as she steps outside and has a paper shoved into her face. Zoro grins as he waves it around. "Everyone knows you now, secretary."

She takes the paper from him and stares back at herself, dual wielding and fully dressed in her red outfit. "Wanted Alive." So Corgi had gone to the Navy with his information. Smart man. "Venomous Shadow: The Scarlet Secretary. Real name unknown. 15 million berry bounty."

"What?" Nami yells. "How is your bounty that close to than mine?"

"I took out a lot of guys on the warships while you were fighting on the bridge," Karmen explains. "The Scarlet Secretary." A sense of pride wells up inside her. "I love it!"

"But I took out a CP9." Nami sighs.

"Only fifty," the reindeer groans, holding his poster.

"Don't worry, Chopper. It's only because you were incapacitated when the warships showed up," she explained. "If they had seen you fight you'd have a 30 million bounty for sure."

Karmen insists on carrying her own bag and notes that a lot of their equipment is missing. "Big bro already put most of your stuff on the new ship," Kiwi explains.

"Even my apple trees?"

"Those too," Mozu says happily. Karmen tucks her new quills into her belt.

They pass through the shopping district on their way to Scrap Heap Island. Karmen slaps her wanted poster to the ceramics shop window and sticks her tongue out at the clerk. Zoro pulls her along.

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log 22: New Journeys_

 _I couldn't bring myself to write in Merry's log again. I closed it and put it on the shelf. Franky built us a wonderful ship named the Thousand Sunny. His family and the crew forced him to join us by stealing his speedo and threatening his family jewels. I was sitting on the swing he put on one of my apple trees, but I still saw enough male anatomy to last me a good long while. He finally gave in after Iceberg gave a heartfelt speech about forgiving one's self for being unable to save someone in the past. I had to turn away to keep myself from crying. Then Mozu and Kiwi had to mention grapes and apples and I lost it. I put on my hood and veil to hide my tears and named my apple trees to distract myself. In the end, we gained a shipwright and left Water 7 like true pirates: Being chased by the Navy._

 _Usopp came running up trying to have the crew invite him on board. As we discussed the other night, no one made a move until he apologized. By the time he did I had crumpled in the swing. After we got away from the Navy, Franky punched him over the head and told him not to worry his "big sister" like that. I didn't like the guy at first, but I think Franky and I are going to get along just fine._

 _I had to join Sanji and Chopper in their depression over their wanted posters. The paper says I am wanted for my knowledge of rare toxins that could become useful to government scientists, and you can't question a dead person. Even if there is one of those guys out there who believes this research aid crap, I'd gas grenade a whole lab before ever helping one of their scientists. Though the Navy admits to my presence at Enies Lobby, they could not find any connection that I had with the crew. Since I escaped with them on Merry and was gloating at the marines we passed on the way, something tells me a few strings were pulled somewhere to keep my connection quiet. At least I have a decent picture and bounty._

 _Zoro caught me whispering to the mast. I told him that if we loved Merry enough for her to become sentient, then Sunny was sure to get there eventually. If and when Sunny speaks, I want us to be friends._

 _Soon we were drinking to our recent adventures, our new crewmember, and our new ship. Chopper let me join in this time, saying my miraculous recovery means I can lay off the heavy medicines for a while. Thank goodness. Medicine gives me awful nightmares. I really am surprised I didn't try to stab somebody, even in the hold of my poison withdrawals. On the first few nights Nami did report that I would whimper in my medicine induced sleep and Chopper had to change the type he was using. The new one didn't have such a bad effect, but it didn't do much for my sleep either. As we drained mugs, I realized I had left all the blank logs on Merry. They're nothing but ashes on the ocean currents now. I'll have to go shopping again soon. They say the next island is Fishman Island, but there's that little clump of mangrove trees. I'm not sure about how I feel about having to go back there, because surely we'll need to coat the ship and travel underwater. Yikes. I have a lot of fond memories in that place and have had experiences with a lot of people I should now consider enemies. Then again, I never did consider those people my friends. Looking back, I barely considered them human. I wonder if there was a time before that tiny island that I could fully relax. The only memories that come to mind are fish riding or when the warlord would visit and we would have tea in the vineyard. I miss listening to his stories._

 _Luffy put a shark in the aquarium below deck. The horns on it remind me of the fighting fish of Dressrosa and are perfect for a few days of challenging fish riding. Chopper had to keep me from jumping in there with it. I love shark riding. They're almost as much of a challenge as the fighting fish and just a hint safer. Franky promised me I could have the first go at taking the shark sub out, since sitting in the cockpit won't aggravate my injuries. I kept trying to get Sanji to carry me into the new covered crow's nest, but Nami won't let him. It looks so nice and cozy up there. With the New World fast approaching, I need a quiet spot more than ever. Zoro's totally misusing it as his personal workout room, even if that's what Franky designed it for. Heck. There's a plush couch up there. I saw it. What's more restful than lounging on a couch all day? Maybe I'm just jealous that he can climb up there and I can't. At least I have my own workstation behind Sunny's head. I have to work around the cannon that's there, but it has a lockable door. Franky was careful to shelve my poisons nicely and give me plenty of space for open flames and chemistry sets. He made sure to have a fume vent that leads to the back of the ship, so I don't have to worry about toxic vapors rising to the deck. I even have my own section in the library. He threw in some extra toxicology books that they found in local book stores. With as much sitting around doing nothing that they have me doing I've already read half of them. In two days, I'll be raiding Robin's and Nami's collections again._

 _Instead of climbing the ratlines, I started poisoning the apples on one of my trees. The apples are almost ripe and I can weaponize them in a week or two. Cruella will have poisoned apples, and Beatrice will have clean ones. I injected them with poison from the bottom, so the needle marks don't show from the outside, not that I think many people would notice. I dipped the needles in lemon juice so there won't be obvious track marks on the inside either. I had to scrap the Plucharon use in this project due to the fact that it shriveled the apple completely. I used flower extract instead. When these babies are ripe they'll make beautiful additions to my arsenal. That is, if I can keep Luffy from eating them. I've made careful notes of what apple was dosed with which poison. I'll know if any are missing and which antidote to use on our Captain. I warned the entire crew again, just to be sure no one got any bright ideas. I made sure to give Chopper a duplicate of my notes, just in case. He also has a key to my workroom for easy access to the antidotes. With my luck the captain will be wandering around the ship half asleep like he does and will snatch one. I may have insomnia, but I don't want to have to spend my nights wondering if I'll have to come to his rescue._

 _I asked Franky about what hair products he uses, for lack of a better time killer. They're cola-based, of course. He took me into the bathhouse and styled my hair. I chased him out throwing feather darts at him. I asked for hair product, not a fauxhawk. The crew got a good laugh out of the whole thing. Franky made it up to me by making me some hand cranked, heat generating styling tools. This is what I get for asking a freaky straight man to help me with styling._

 _I've been doing nothing but sit around this ship that I can't even explore properly and I feel like I'm going stir crazy, trapped in my own wounded skin. The more I sit the more I remember the nightmares I had this week and the memories they're rooted in. The more I think of what that government agent Corgi could be spreading and to whom makes my flight instinct kick in. It would be better if I could climb something and be somewhere that I can observe the ocean horizon from. Now more than ever, with the second Red Line approaching, I feel like I can't trust any approaching ship. I keep looking out to sea, expecting to see sails depicting a Neptunian eel crushing a cargo ship inside a "G". I feel a need to clean and write and find somewhere quiet to practice my Haki but there are people everywhere on this ship and nothing's quiet with Luffy around. I love his energy and optimism, but it can be a little claustrophobic at times. If only they'd let me climb something. I tried in secret earlier and I nearly tore out my stitches. The ship is much larger now, but the crew is twice as big as it was on Merry who was half this size, especially with me stuck to stair accessible places. In a way, I feel like even though everything is changing for us, the only thing that's different is me. It's been two long years and I finally feel like someone who can face my fears and try to fix what I left behind. When I've calmed down, I'll tell the crew everything._


	31. Chapter 31: The Truth

[ **Warning:** This chapter touches on assault, torture, sexual themes, and real cultural practices that some readers might find disturbing.]

* * *

 _Ship Log 1: It's Time to Tell the Truth_

 _We found a small island that wasn't on the map Galley-La provided for us. We stopped and I got off to buy a new log. While away from the ship, I was attacked by a man with string-string, floss model, devil fruit powers who had been sent by my mother. Not only did she send a bounty hunter, but one with that power. It was a gloating message._

 _She's gone too far this time. I always knew she was one of the worse nobles, but I never thought she'd send someone with her lack of morals or human decency after me. Zoro rescued me and I made sure the man would regret his actions, writing a letter home into his flesh. The crew now knows my status._

 _[The Day Before]_

The crew has just pulled into the West port of the island. Everyone is splitting up to go shopping. Usopp is in charge of the ship and Zoro stays behind to discuss something with him. Luffy had gone running off looking for food. Nami, Chopper, and Robin go to look at books and jewelry. Sanji goes to look for spices. Franky is below deck checking the cola stores after our flying escape from the Navy before he goes shopping. Karmen only needs to buy ink and a new log. She doesn't think she will be gone long, so she sets off alone. She buys what she needs and begins her return trip. When she is three blocks away from the ship, she is jumped by a man with spiky blond hair, a collared shirt, capris, and ugly shoes.

Before Karmen can even react he produced a flat string out of thin air and sews her legs together and her arms to her sides. She falls to the ground and yells "Straw Hats! Zoro!" before he sows her mouth closed. She feels stitches in her stomach tear as she hits the cobbles.

Karmen feels so useless and weak. She can't even say the words brimming in her mind as he laughs down at her. As he speaks she feels more string being pulled through her flesh in the back of her throat and beneath her skirt. Karmen knows her eyes are next, but he wants to see how she reacts to his words before he keeps her from seeing where they're going. "My string-string: floss model powers sure do come in handy in my line of work. Your mother said it may be hard to capture you. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to go shopping on your own. Don't worry. If you scar it won't be very visible. I wouldn't get payed as much if you did." A snake like string poises itself in the air, threatening to strike at her eyes and sew them closed.

If Karmen could move her mouth she would have told him that blindfolds were less dangerous. She wonders if he would remove the strings once they get to the initial hideout or if he would leave her like this until she was ceremoniously dumped at her parent's feet. She starts to shake then. She can feel every string pulling at her skin as she tries to still her body. He continues talking about his powers and his bounty hunting business. Though she hears some, she finds it hard to focus on what he is saying. Her mind bounces between devil fruits, her family, and Pierce. Her face begins to drain of emotion as she reaches the precipice of full blown panic.

That's when she sees Zoro slide around the corner, setting a sword in his teeth, and her mind goes quiet. She stops shaking as she is momentarily distracted by the protective look in his eyes under his bandana. Silent rage crossed his face when he sees Karmen lying on her side in the street, bound to herself. She meets his eye and shakes her head slightly. She wants him alive. Zoro bites a little deeper into his sword but reverses the one in his hand. He doesn't even name the stroke as he bashes the blunt of his blade into her attacker's abdomen. He lays stunned where he falls.

"Hold still," Zoro says. He takes the sword from his mouth and used both blades to free her arms and legs in three deft strokes. A little more cautiously, he cuts the strings in her lips. The man starts to come to, so Zoro holds a sword to his Adam's apple while Karmen plucks strings from her face. "Who are you?"

"My mother sent him," Karmen answers for her attacker, rubbing her mouth. "He sewed something into my shoulder. Can you see what it is?" She pulls down the fabric of the tank top covering her right shoulder and turns it towards him, watching his expression. His face darkens.

"A. G.," he reads. "Looks like his initials."

"He said he purposefully ran the string through blood vessels so they would turn red." Karmen is sure she has an evil glint in her eye as she turns her head to look at the man. "So. You're the kind of man that likes to sign his work, huh? Zoro, why don't you return the favor. Feel free to use your full name. Scars on a man's back are shameful, right?"

Zoro complies with a dark grin on his face. She is amazed that he manages not to cut the fabric on the back of his shirt. He only cuts the man's flesh, not his bones. His blade moves so fast that she can just see a blur of flashes. He is done in less than five seconds. Zoro truly is a master swordsman, she thinks.

Anger takes hold of Karmen then, as she has time to reflect on what he had done to her and what her mother was implying with it. It would be a shame if she didn't send him back with a heartfelt message from their dear ol' daughter. "Zoro, be a dear and hand me the metal tipped quill pen from my bag please. Not the ones Franky made me, the other one." He rummaged through her things and tossed over the requested item. Karmen crawls to where the man trembles on the ground, shirt cut open in the front. "Hold him." Zoro picks the bleeding man off the cobbles and forced him to face her. "I'm going to send you back with a letter for my darling parents. Fail to deliver it, and I will send him to castrate you." She points her pen at Zoro. "If you scream while I'm writing, I'll do it myself." She holds the tip of the pen threateningly under his chin. "I may not be a medical profession, but I know my anatomy." She feels a little silly after saying this. Had it been any other situation, she would have said it with a smile and played it off as a joking threat like her mother uses so often, but through gritted teeth it just sounds a little ridiculous. Despite the oddness of the comment, both men visibly blanch and the attacker bites his lip, anticipating pain.

Karmen starts writing below his right collarbone, each letter ripping flesh. She writes as small as she can without damaging other symbols nearby. The letter starts out with "Dearest Mother and Father," and ends with "Sincerely, your beloved daughter," and she signs her name in his lower stomach in sprawling cursive. She thinks she sees even Zoro shiver, but the most the bounty hunter makes is a soft whimper. When she's finished, the man passes out. Zoro deposited him in a barrel and returns her quill to her bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

He ties his bandana to his arm and holds a hand out to Karmen. "Can you walk?"

She takes his hand and tries to pull herself off the street and ends up collapsing to her hands and knees. "I'm sorry. It hurts too much to stand." Without a second though, he scoops her up as if she's light as a feather. "Can you take me to Chopper? There are more strings."

"I can get rid of them now, if you'd like."

Karmen tries her hardest not to blush. "You're very kind and skilled, but I don't trust my gag reflex with your sword at the back of my throat."

Zoro adjusts his grip and starts forward. The bounty hunter's powers must have been artificial considering the type, she thinks. What were they trying to say by sending him? "I let my guard down. How stupid can I get? I should have known this would happen after what that government goon said," she mumbles in shock. Despite anger making her brave a few minutes prior, Karmen finds herself trembling and clinging to Zoro's neck while finally noticing the beads of blood welling up on her skin. "I'm sorry. I'm bleeding on you. I'll wash it out later." His only response to this is a shrug and a slightly tighter grip. Later she thinks about how laughable that was. The man bleeds all over himself every single time they get into a scrape and she was upset about leaving behind barely visible droplets.

"So your parents, huh?" He keeps his gaze forward as he speaks. Karmen finds herself shrinking as far as she can into his elbow, which she feels isn't nearly far enough. He continues to take slow, steady steps, ignoring the few passersby's who stop to gawk at them.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. It never really came up in conversation and I was scared you all would think of me differently if I did tell you. I've wanted to say something ever since Alabasta, but with everything that's happened since I couldn't find the right moment. I thought that if I stayed on the move I could avoid most of the danger, but at Enies Lobby I involved you all." She tucks her chin and leans her head into his neck as she continues. "The man I fought in Alabasta was a bounty hunter sent to take me back. The government agent at the Tower of Law knew who I really was and sent a report to his superiors. They must have sent word to my family.

"My parents are really important and wealthy people where I used to live. They're terrible people, but I was used to that. My father is a powerful business man and mother is a cruel noble who abuses her power. They wanted me to marry a politician to make him a business partner, but the guy was a pervert in his late sixties. He and father were planning something awful, so I ran away from home. I send letters full of lies to my father to confuse my trail and hid from anyone who might recognize me and force me to go back. I never thought they'd send someone as vile as that after me. Now that they know where I am it's sure to get worse. I really did mean to say something sooner."

By this time they are back at _Sunny_. She pales as they pass her embroidery basket, but says nothing. Usopp says that Franky had gone to get everyone in case there had been a big problem. Chopper, Nami, and Robin are already waiting in the medical bay and the men come running as Zoro places Karmen on the examining table. Franky's jaw is set. Sanji looks disturbed, waiting for someone to direct his anger at. Luffy grits his teeth and stares at the places where her skin has been torn by the strings.

Zoro starts telling everyone about the attack, saying that her parents had sent a kidnapper with devil fruit powers after her and leaves out her parent's status. Karmen meets his eye and silently thanks him for giving her the opportunity to tell the whole story properly in her own time. She is thankful beyond words that the tone he speaks of her in has not changed. That makes what is to come bearable. She might be rejected from the crew and left on her own again, but she still has a friend.

"Chopper," Karmen says. "There are strings in the back of my throat. Could you remove them for me, please?"

Nami looks horrified. "Why would he put strings in your throat?"

Karmen frowns distastefully. "It's my mom's way of making sure I chew my food properly. I was always swallowing grapes whole to annoy her." Chopper carefully puts scissors in her mouth and cuts the strings that spider-web inside. He uses forceps to pull out each piece. She can taste blood, but not much. He moves on to her shoulder, making short work of the letters there. She is sitting sideways on the table with her back to the door where most of the crew stands, holding her right arm while he works. "There are more. Could you have the men leave?" They file out solemnly and Robin closes the door behind them while she lies back on the table. Karmen is glad that Chopper had no interest in the human female as she pulls down her underwear to let him remove the strings beneath. Nami gasps.

Karmen closes her eyes and begins to explain. "There are some groups of people that we hear rumors about back home. Everyone there just called them barbarians, but they called most people that. One of the stories is that at the onset of puberty, a woman is cut and sewn in a way that she heals shut, leaving only a small opening to go to the bathroom. On her wedding night her husband literally tears into her to consummate their vows. If she is found opened before her wedding night, she is publicly executed. Mom must have heard that I was on a ship full of men and wanted to insure my 'virtue.' My parents advertised me to potential suitors as… unused. They wanted to do it to me when I was twelve. Our doctor refused and my mom had my uncle throw acid in his face." More as an afterthought she adds, "Can you make sure Zoro doesn't go back to kill that guy? I feel safer with him here." Karmen bites her knuckle and stares at the wall, trying to keep herself from crying as she listens to the steady snip of scissors and feels the strings being tugged from her flesh. Robin's face is serious, but she remains quiet where she sits. Nami's eyes are wide and she has stress lines on her face. She leaves the room, horrified.

Nami slips from the medical bay and closed the door securely before stumbling over to the rest of the crew. Everyone's heads swivel towards her expectantly. In her shock she repeats the cultural practice that she had just heard of, adding, "Apparently that guy thought it would be funny to have her toilet bowls look like Wanze's noodles." A dark shadow falls over Zoro's face. He draws a sword and prepares to jump from the ship. Nami snaps out of her shock in response. "She thought you might react that way. She said she feels safer with you here on the ship!"

Zoro's demeanor instantly changes. He sheaths his sword and sits near the door, standing the sword in front of him, ready for use. "Well, if it makes her feel more comfortable." Nami smiles internally at how Karmen played the situation, even in her distracted state. "And that explains why she was so brutal to the guy." Everyone looks at Zoro inquisitively. "She had me sign his back with my sword and used that metal tipped quill pen of hers to carve a letter to her parents into his chest. She used the longest words she could think of and the smallest writing she could manage. It started on his chest and she viciously slashed her signature into the soft skin of his lower abdomen."

As he speaks everyone breaks out into a cold sweat. Usopp shakes visibly. "Remind me to never make her angry."

When Chopper is done, Karmen goes down to take a bath and wash off the blood. She stays in the tub for a long time. She goes straight to bed afterwards, deciding that she would do the right thing and tell them everything in the morning and let the crew decide her future aboard the ship, or lack thereof.

Karmen can't sleep, so she gets dressed and climbs up to the workout room, despite the ache in her abdomen. She picks up five pound weights and sighs as she compares them to the carefully racked five tons that the guys lift like loaves of bread every day. She makes a few punching motions, testing the impact of her labored fists against the sandbag. She decides to kick it instead. Before long she finds herself beating weights against the walls and sobbing quietly. A weight is taken from her hand before it can strike the wall again.

It's Zoro. He hands her a towel and she wipes her face. He sits against the wall and she follows suit. "Why did you call my name?" he asks after a while.

"I remembered you had been at the ship and trusted you to reach me as quickly as you did," she says. This doesn't feel like the whole reason, but she doesn't know how to explain herself better in her exhausted state. "In the morning," she says, "I'll tell everyone the whole thing." Karmen wants to look him in the eye, but every time she does she feels that she doesn't belong on this ship. They sit there silently until she falls asleep.

Karmen wakes up in her bed, alone in the bedroom. She writes down the details of the attack in the fresh logbook.

" _I am writing all of this the morning after and before I go to bare my soul. This may be my first and final log as the secretary of the Straw Hat Pirates aboard the Thousand Sunny."_

Karmen closes the log, not bothering to hide it in her bag, and steps out to where the crew is waiting.


	32. Chapter 32: Karmen's Confession

[Author's Note: This is the first, and probably last, chapter from Karmen's point of view. The first draft of this was a log and I felt it needed to keep her voice.

 **Warning** : This chapter gets a little dark and involves violent death, mental torture, and emotional abuse of young children.]

* * *

Sanji made tea in my china set. There is a new table sitting on the deck that I do not recognize. Franky must have made it early this morning or overnight. Everyone is sitting. "You said you wanted to discuss this with us over tea, right?" Sanji asks. Had I? It had been a week or two since I gave that half-asleep statement. Though the tea is delightfully warm, no one but Zoro is drinking it. He looks at me levelly over the rim of his cup but his expression does not reveal anything. I'm sure he and Luffy spoke last night. I know they are men of honor and hope that they can overlook the lack of mine. I sit in the empty seat at the end of the table and watch my tea cool. Taking a deep breath, I jump right into it.

"I've been using you, and I'm sorry. As you may have already guessed, the story of the shipwreck is a cover." Releasing my clenched fist, I set my family's gold seal and my signet ring on the table in front of me, facing them towards the crew. I hear Nami gasp at the insignia on both: a Neptunian eel crushing a cargo ship in its jaws, encircled by a G. My family symbol. I grind my teeth for a moment, clenching my sweaty palms in my lap. "My real name is Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen. My father is Gallowcomb Edward Herbert Ikaika, a merchant and nobleman of the West Blue. My mother is Gallowcomb Antwanette Jenevive Willow, a noblewoman and daughter of the Davenwell family of the East Blue."

Nami gasps again. "But that would mean that your family is a branch of the Celestial Dragons!" I nod. Everyone except Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy visibly stiffens, but Usopp is already staring slack jawed at the fact that I am a noble.

Something clicks in Zoro's mind. "Does your family make the DavenGallow wine?" I nod again. He cocks his head briefly in appreciation. "Good stuff."

I give a clipped, airy laugh. "I was raised on the vineyard, actually. It was more of a plantation on Valcour Island in the North Blue. We own property in every ocean, even the Grand Line, but we stayed there more than anywhere else. All of the servants and farmers were slaves. My mother has a whole fleet of bounty hunters on her payroll to track down anyone who tried to escape. She would inspect the vineyard once a week. If she found anything less than perfect she would beat the nearest person into a bloody pulp and then shoot them. If they were lucky, they would die. I tried to keep the death toll to a minimum, but if I was openly kind to anyone they'd be killed.

"The servants and I had to come up with a code that we could use to communicate openly. They would tell me when my family or their guests would go on a rampage and I would attempt to distract them from the servants. I tried my best to help them, but it was never enough. There were always those I couldn't save. I couldn't even trust some of the servants I was trying to help. They'd been given such harsh training that they would report my actions to my father.

"He'd set them in front of me and kill them along with anyone else involved. His favorite weapons were the noose and a whip. He would string people up by their hands and feet and spend hours on just one person before finally hanging them in the yard as an example. I learned from a young age that it only got worse if I reacted. He was a man who delighted in seeing a little girl cry. I can't tell you how many servants were tortured in front of me because I let out the slightest whimper.

"As I got older, my father became more subtle in his cruelty. He would take me to his business meetings as a showpiece starting when I was twelve. He dangled me like a piece of meat in front of lecherous men. If they pleased my father they had a chance of claiming my hand in marriage when I turned eighteen, so long as they stayed in his favor." I shiver with the memory and bite my lip. It wasn't that the memories of the deaths of the servants didn't chill me to the bone, but I had been allowed to react to the men surrounding me as a child. Even now I find it difficult to show my true emotions in either experience. "And if they displeased him, his business partners, rivals, and their families would have a tragedy at sea. He didn't discriminate between man, woman, or child. The navy passed it all off as casualties of a seafaring business, but everyone knew the truth. My father is an assassin who uses money as his weapon while he stays safe and unscathed behind his desk, preying on the weak and powerless." I spit out these words as tears well up in my eyes. I blink them back. If I start crying I won't be able to tell them everything.

"Days before my eighteenth birthday, father introduced me to a politician. His name was Itluk Baldwin, a sixty-eight year old man who was known for brutality towards women. He even left a dying concubine on our doorstep as he came in to greet my father. He didn't like the tea that was served and shot our butler on the spot." I clench my hand and rest my forehead against my palm, letting out a strangled sob. "Godwin was a good servant. He served my family for thirty years. He never hurt anyone and obeyed every order given to him without question. He was one of the nicest men I ever met and made up for all my father's shortcomings. He was shot like a lame dog in the streets and my father didn't even bat an eye! He lay on the floor moaning, so my father pulled a pistol and shot Godwin himself. Once in the abdomen, two in the shoulder, and three in the head. His blood was on my face and in my mouth, and I couldn't even blink. Had I even shed a tear, his body would have been further mutilated and left for wild animals to eat. I wasn't even able to mourn him properly."

I knew the crew recognized the name and were remembering the bad reaction I had had to the medicine where I screamed the name until I was hoarse. "Soon after, father took me into his office and told me that on the night of my eighteenth birthday, I was to marry this man. I begged my father to reconsider, but he had made his decision. I was just another pawn in his quest for power."

I struggled to get out the next words. "There was a servant who had been with me since I was a child. His name is Pierce." Usopp's mouth hangs open slightly at the name. "He had been given to me like property, but we never saw each other as slave and master. I protected him from my family and their acquaintances and he served me faithfully. The tortures decreased after he arrived, but the accidents at sea increased significantly. He gathered intelligence on Baldwin and found that he was just as awful as my father. We both knew that as soon as I had produced a male heir for that man, one who could inherit the Gallowcomb estate, I was as good as dead. I was resolved to die before that man ever touched me.

"The night before the wedding, Pierce came to me and said that he had arranged a way for me to escape the ordeal if I were to only go with him and cut ties with my family. I gladly accepted. I only took the clothes I was wearing and my family's gold seal to sell later down the road. We were sneaking out of the mansion to meet with his friend. Pierce was opening the garden gate in the back yard when Father caught us. He took one look and shot Pierce point blank." I'm crying now. "He was still alive. He begged me to run, and I did." I bite my knuckle.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I look into Luffy's eyes and force the tears to stop. "I left my best friend bleeding in front of a murderer because I was scared and weak. I've regretted my actions every day since. I wanted to go back, but Pierce's friend heard the gunshot and forced me to go. They bounced me from boat to boat for a month until I ended up at Syrup Village, where my parents wouldn't think to look.

"If Pierce survived the gunshot, my father would have kept him alive to torture him until he found out where I was. Even if he was forced to tell him, or he was unable to tell him, my father would have kept him alive to make his life a living hell. He'd want to kill him in front of me to make sure I understand the consequences of my actions. That's the kind of man he is.

"I've looked for Pierce in every group of slaves serving nobles in every port that we've stopped at, not that there have been many in the towns we visited. I thought that maybe father would get bored of him and sell him off. I know that he's probably dead, but I can't help looking. I even used Usopp to help me come up with lies to throw my father off my trail, hoping that if I kept some kind of contact, he would keep Pierce alive until I could find him or what happened to him.

"I already told this to Zoro, but the Mr. 6 in Alabasta was a spy for my father. He had detailed orders to capture me and send me back. He had my signet ring on him. Aokiji had given orders to the government agents at Enies Lobby to capture me alive because my father's been hounding the Navy to find me. You already know about the bounty hunter that attacked me yesterday. His powers… My mother sent that man specifically to mess with my head. If Pierce is alive they've done something terrible to him, or they want me to think they have.

"With everything that's happened I've realized that I never stopped running. I wanted to come with you so that I could get back to the other side of the East Blue to save my friend. I knew you were headed in the opposite direction, but I though by the time we circled around I'd have grown into someone reliable. I've worked hard to become stronger. Strong enough that I won't have to run anymore.

"It took me this long to tell you all because where I come from people get killed for knowing too much. Robin's life up to this point is only one example of that. The only reason they haven't come after me with full force is because they don't realize what I know. Silence has protected more than my life for most of my life. In this case, however, I realize that my silence and actions have put you in danger. My family has strong connections to the Navy and world government, and they're sure to send worse than bounty hunters after me now that they've confirmed my location. In the next few islands and beyond the Red Line there will be a lot of people who can identify me. I've enjoyed my time with you. Traveling with you, I've been able to speak freely for once and I didn't have to hide who I really am. Oddly enough, being a part of this crew has been one of the few times in my life that I've felt safe.

"I can't see any future that I won't cause trouble for you from this point forward. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of your association with me. If you'd like, I will leave the ship. I'll burn our mark off my arm and never claim the Straw Hat name again. You can keep my apple trees. Cruella won't produce any poisoned fruit next year." I push my chair back and bow from it. "I deeply regret deceiving you for so long and will humbly accept any decision you make."

The only sound for a few excruciating seconds is Zoro sipping tea. A few others join in. While I spoke Luffy's face was set and expressionless. It reminded me of when Usopp tried to rejoin the crew before he apologized. I stay bowed.

And then he speaks, going around the table from his right.

"Sanji?"

I hear Sanji take a sip of tea. "It seems to me that if a man is willing to give his life to help a woman escape sure death, she shouldn't waste it by going off to get caught again. I've become rather fond of you. How much suffering have you endured all by yourself? Feel free to leap into my bosom for comfort!" Someone smacks him.

"Robin?"

"I've heard horrible stories about your home island and your parents. I don't blame you for leaving or having a hard time trusting those around you. You and I think alike, after all. You, at least, haven't put us in any real danger yet, and now we know to be prepared for it. I told you when we met, I don't care who you used to be. I'd like to help you, if I can."

"Usopp?"

"I knew all along that you were diverting dangerous nobles with those letters you keep sending out. That's why I gave you my premium stories that I was saving for Kaya and special occasions. You don't come up with quality material like that for nothing, you know. If you think about it, I've saved this ship on countless occasions. You should call me captain."

"I'm captain."

"Oh. Right. Sorry. Anyways, I don't want to say goodbye three times in a week. We're family, right?"

"Franky?"

Franky breaks out sobbing. "I'm so touched. You've been through so much. You must have been so scared. And then to see Godwin and Pierce get shot by your father. Your own father! And Pierce would rather die than see you marry that awful person. What a man! I want to meet this guy. He's super!" Someone clears their throat. "Shut up, you idiot! I'm not crying!"

"Chopper?"

Chopper speaks in a rare tone of seriousness. "It's clear you've suffered great psychological trauma. Your recovery so far has been immense. I agree with Robin. Your family sound like monsters. For your own health, you're better off far away from that place." He sips his tea cordially. "If he is alive, I would like to remove Pierce from that environment as well."

"Nami?"

"Well, I can't say much for not telling us the whole truth up front to protect someone, and after that story I don't blame you. It would be dangerous for people to find out who you are. The real question is: if you leave, who's going to keep our logs or poison people and bring back their treasure? Also, your nobility could actually come in handy in a pinch. You'll know who we can rob. Plus I like having you as a roommate, even if you never sleep."

"Zoro?"

I hear him set down his tea. "So you were no good in a fight back then. We knew that from day one. You screamed it at us when you begged to join. I am a little insulted, however, that you didn't think we could take care of anything your family throws our way. I told you that I'd handle any trouble you caused. It can't be much worse than a buster call or a few admirals. What was your plan? Stay on the ship until we got close to your home and then disappear for a solo rescue mission? You saw how far we went to get Robin back. You have seniority." He lets out his breath in a huff. "What do you say, Captain?"

"You said they made you leave and that your father would keep your friend alive until you get home. If you go there alone and get caught, you're both as good as dead. You've been trying to get back there for two whole years, right? The answer is simple then. We'll help you get him back, because he's your friend." My head slowly rises in surprise as they speak. Deep down I know I should have expected this. The crew aren't like the people I grew up with. They don't turn on those who show weakness and vulnerability. They help them. They're helping me. Luffy audibly grins as she finally raises her eyes to the crew again. "That mark on your arm is a symbol of eternal friendship. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. All in favor of keeping our secretary and rescuing Pierce, say aye!"

Eight "Aye's" ring out around the table.

All I can manage to get out is "You guys" before I breaking into happy sobs. "I promise I'll get stronger. If they come for me again, I want to fight with you all!" I lean against my legs and cry freely. All around the table are soft smiles and the quiet noises of sipping tea.

* * *

Later that day, Karmen takes everyone into the city to shop and tells them to buy whatever they want. She gives her home address to the shop attendants, placing a wax seal on each one, and tells them to send the bill to her parents.


	33. Chapter 33: The Hold

Karmen and Robin sit on their beds, looking at each other quietly. "I couldn't help but notice that you didn't tell the crew about your warlord," Robin says.

"Having a noble on board is hard enough for some of them to swallow." Sanji had been running around trying to treat her like a princess which has made her want to avoid him even more and Usopp had found it hard to pick a conversation topic without asking awkward questions about her parents. Luffy even asked if nobles poop. "If they knew I was fawned over by warlords throughout my childhood I think their heads would explode. Besides, there are other people I have to protect. There are still things that I need to stay quiet about." Robin smiles warmly as Karmen decides what to say next. Several times Karmen has started to speak, then closes her mouth and lets her mind reform whatever thoughts are taking place. Robin waits patiently. "In a way," Karmen finally says. "Despite everything that happened, with Iceberg and Enies Lobby and getting shot, I'm actually relieved that you tried to pull that stunt first."

"Turning myself in to save the crew?"

Karmen nods. "The more I think about it, the more I realize my life has no value to my father. Had I tried to turn myself over in an attempt to secure the crew's safety he would not honor any agreement we came to. I would be a captive, and everyone else, including Pierce, would be killed. That's just the kind of man he is. It would be even worse if the Dragons got involved. How did you bear it when you were a child? Having everything you cared about ripped from you and continuing to live afterwards?"

"I promised my mother that I would live and I was told that I would find friends someday. If you lose everything, run until you find something else to fight for." Giving her usual smile, Robin slides off her bed and leaves.

Nami passes Robin in the doorway, looking for Karmen who hasn't been on deck for the past two hours. She sees her sitting on her bed with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms around them. She tries to show a cheery smile. "That was some shopping trip you took us on. My closet's going to be stuffed for a year! Maybe we could get Luffy to tear some stuff up so we can make him pay us back and buy more." Her smile falters as her conversation starter is received with a slight nod.

Karmen catches her worried gaze and attempts a poor excuse for a smile but gives up only part of the way through it. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be gloomy. I've just held all this in for two years and if I don't process it all now that it's out in the open I might just go mad."

Nami moves over to a window and looks out. Her face is serious now. "If you want to talk about it, I'll listen."

Karmen hugs her knees tighter, but eventually speaks. "Do you remember what it was like to be in Arlong's presence?" Nami stiffens but lets her continue. "You used to get this look on your face, that first week we knew each other. You'd stare out at the ocean and have that look. I knew after it was all over that it was because you could feel his hold on you even leagues away. There was always that constant threat that he could take everything dear to you on a whim. It's the same for me. It was like that for eighteen years of my life." Karmen buried her face in her knees. "You were lucky, though," she continues. "You knew what you cared for was still there and you worked hard to call it yours again. You could return to it consistently and verify that fact with your own eyes. All I have now is the hope that I can do the same. You could fall back on money, but the only thing that I could offer my father is my last shred of freedom. Robin and I were just talking about it. If I go back against my will, Pierce and I are both dead for sure." Karmen grabs fistfuls of her bangs in frustration.

"You're pretty stupid, huh?" Nami says softly. Karmen lets go of her hair and looks up, confused. Nami turns towards her and kneels on the bed. "You're one of us now. Have faith in your captain and crew. Believe in us, Karmen. You've gotten a lot stronger. We all have. You can even join in the fights now. When you go home to face your family, you can count on us standing right there with you." Nami extends her hand and Karmen grasps it tightly.

"Thank you, Nami."

Up on the deck, Zoro humbles himself with a deep breath. "Hey, cook." Sanji inhales on a cigarette and glances his way. "How much do you know about dancing?"

* * *

The Promise

Karmen brews enough tea for one cup and carries it out on deck. _Sunny_ bobs peacefully in the current. Zoro is keeping watch, resting his back against the main mast. She gives him the cup and sits next to him. "Thanks. Where's yours?"

Karmen smiles at the ocean. "I think that after two years, I can finally start resting peacefully at night."

Zoro smiles at his cup. "I see. How are your injuries?"

"It's nothing I can't handle."

"So pretty bad still, huh?"

"You could say that."

He sips, then looks in her direction. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Karmen meets his eye and waits. "Why Valentine?"

She grins. "In my favorite book, there's a character who says that names should be romantic, magical, and slightly dangerous, like Valentine. Come to find out that's his name: Valentine." She pulls her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I think I'll keep it. I've come to hate the name Gallowcomb."

"And the red outfit? I never really believed the ex-boyfriend story."

She nods. "I wear it so that Navy officers and nobles don't recognize me. I think I'll keep that too. After all, it gave me my pirate name." She expertly flips out one of her metal quill pen. "I'm not going to lose one piece of my life here on this crew."

Zoro smiles with her. "How far away is home, anyway?"

"It's still leagues from where we're at now, Northwest from here. That's not where he'd be keeping Pierce though. His main base of operations is across the Red Line in the East Blue on Galaval Island. I'm a little unsettled at the thought of going back to that place. There are so many people who don't like my family between here and there."

He watches her face grow serious as she speaks. "We don't always do things cleanly, you know. What happens if we get delayed and you end up in a white dress?"

Karmen grips her pen and grits her teeth. "Then I poison the punch bowl. I'll bite my tongue and drown on my own blood before Baldwin can touch me. I decided that a long time ago." She takes a deep breath and her shoulders relax. When she speaks again, her voice is small. "Can you be a dear and promise me something?"

"I can try."

Karmen stands and turns towards the cabin. "If it does happen, try not to stay delayed for too long?"

Zoro smiles and takes a long drink as he considers it. "I think I can manage that."

Karmen smiles and goes down to bed.

* * *

 _Ship's Log 2: Florian Triangle_

 _A storm drove us into the Florian Triangle today. I remember father forcing his business rival's ships through these waters so they would disappear without a trace. I wonder if they're still drifting in this fog somewhere. Nami would get a kick out of all the merchandise on them._

 _We came upon a ghost ship that had a talking skeleton musician named Brook on it. He died 50 years ago, but had eaten the Revive-Revive devil fruit and found his way back to his bones. Luffy wants him as part of our crew. Other than the fact that he keeps asking to see my underwear he's a pretty nice guy, and he likes my tea. Usopp kept trying to ward him off with a cross. It reminded me that I should write a certain Uncle soon._

 _Brook says his shadow was stolen some time ago. I was so surprised when I realized what he was saying that I added extra fade to my reverse observation Haki. (It's so weird not hiding these things in my personal log). There's only one person I've heard of who can do that. None of the warlords I know particularly like that man and I have no interest in meeting him myself . Judging from this skeleton and the captain's reaction to his story, however, something tells me we'll be coming in close proximity soon. It's strange, but part of me is hoping for it (maybe I should leave those comments in my P.L.? Not that anyone reads these… I think). I feel sorry for poor, lonely Brook and want him to come with us so he won't have to be alone anymore._

 _Just as I feared, our ship was swallowed by Thriller Bark and a ghost appeared. The timing totally sucks. Brook was just about to play something for us on his violin. I agree with Luffy when he says our crew has been lacking music. I didn't realize how starved I was for a proper instrument until I saw his bow drop. We haven't seen a real band since Skypia. Franky pulls out his guitar every once in a while, but impromptu songs aren't the same._

 _I peeked out the window while everyone went up on deck to take a better look. As soon as I saw where we were I went into full fade. I'd never been to this place before, but I'd heard plenty about it. Franky sent Usopp, Nami, and Chopper out in Mini-Merry. The ram's head on the little boat looks just like Merry. He's such a thoughtful dear. He mentioned the shark-sub in the other channel and despite my fears for this place, I decided to make full use of my fade. I switched the channels and am going to take the sub out._

* * *

Karmen pins a note to the outside door to Channel 3 and climbs giddily into the shark-sub. As quietly as possible, she slips it into the surrounding waters and puts up the periscope. Re-reversing her Haki, she goes into sensory mode before making a move to travel. Increasing her range, she senses a strange presence on deck. Realizing she's left her weapons in her workroom, she beats her forehead against the controls, causing the sub to sink suddenly.

Heavy waves rock the shark and it takes a moment to regain control and make her way upwards again. When the periscope breaks the surface, the ship is gone. "Did Zoro find the note and get angry?" she wonders, then reconsiders. "No. Sanji would never let him leave me behind. Something else must have happened. Maybe I should have told them about this place. Not that Luffy would care. He'd go charging in looking for those spooky people. He'd be like Chopper in a candy store." Karmen mumbles a little longer about having a meat head for a captain and starts to explore the perimeter of the enclosure. After circling the entire fence she dives and follows the curve underneath the island.

"No openings anywhere. He did say it was a ship. Maybe I can go open those gates and wait for the crew to get back." Karmen taps her fingers against the console. "Am I just talking to myself because I'm scared of Gekko Moria?" Karmen has only sensed regular fish in the waters, but she's felt several unnatural presences on the island itself. There had been a spike in activity a few hours into her search, but it had died down recently. "Would one warlord spare me because I have connections with other warlords, or would he steal my shadow and throw my dissolving corpse at their feet?" She groans and gently lays her head on the steering wheel. "Cousin Doffy, you enjoy killing people. Avenge me if I die here."

The cabin had gotten stuffy recently. She checks the clock in the console and finds it's past midnight. She decides to loop around the island on the surface to find the ship. Once above sea level, she opens the hatch to let in fresh air. As she rounds the next curve of the island, she sees Sunny stuck in a large web. Sensing no one, she docks and climbs up to her workstation. Arming herself, she puts on her battle gear, including her restocked belt of gas grenades. She slips her new metal quills into the leather holsters she'd sewn onto the outside of her boots. She'd learned from Enel to keep metal away from her skin. She liked the design. It makes her look like she had wings on her boots and could take off flying at any moment. She senses a large group of unnatural presences coming from the island and fades into the shadows of the gate.

As she makes steady progress into the island, she sees zombies carrying things from the ship to the castle. Among them is the cup she worked so hard to buy. Knowing she'd be unable to stop the procession, she decides to follow it. In her attempts to stay hidden, she loses sight of the group carrying things from the ship but is able to follow the excess stragglers. Even with getting bored during her days of recovery and working her blind spot technique up to twenty seconds, she soon finds herself unable to continue tree hopping due to being surrounded by zombies. She wonders if she's healed enough to run long distances, but decides she has too many idle toxins for that.

"I was hoping to test out my new weapons," she tells them. "Tell me, do pain inducers and paralytics work on zombies? Eh. I'll find out on my own. Sync." She dances around the zombies as they swipe at her, ducking under arms and jumping over diving corpses. She levers a feather on a pen until liquid drips from the bit and slashes deadbolt into one and sunblade into another. She also tries various plant extracts that cause everything from indigestion to comas. "Seriously? None of that stuff works on you guys?" She pants heavily, leaning over her knees. The coma extract victim drops. "Ok, well that makes me feel a little better. Thank you."

"Actually, I just tripped," the zombie says.

"Can't you just give me a boon? I guess it makes sense. Your bodies aren't exactly circulating blood." She sighs, levering the last cartridges into the chambers. "Time for the ace in the hole. Blind Spot: Necrosis." Karmen darts around all the zombies, stabbing them with Plucharon. The effects are slow, but she sees black tendrils leading up their skin around the cuts. "Finally," she says happily, holding her aching stomach with a groan. "I'm not healed enough for this much dodging. Chopper's going to yell at me."

She smiles, trying not to laugh at the thought of being scolded by the little raccoon-dog doctor. She's brought back to the present by shuffling zombies. They chase her towards the interior of the island through the trees, but slowly the necrosis decays their bodies enough that they stop giving chase. She feels sorry for just a moment before remembering that Moria's powers reanimated the already dead using stolen shadows. Perhaps in a few hours the corpses will be dissolved enough that the shadows will return to their rightful owners and the dead can rest in peace. Dr. Hogback certainly won't be able to reuse the bodies. She says a little prayer for the previous owners of the corpses and continues. She can hear explosions coming from the direction of the mansion and determines she should hide before Dr. Hogback decides she'd make a good replacement zombie.

Nami comes running through the forest. Karmen is about to call out when she sees the flowing silk wedding gown she's dressed in and her throat goes dry. By the time she can move her face again her crewmate is gone and another strong presence is fast approaching. She fades and waits for them to pass. Shock runs through her as a 22' 6" man in a black coat with a crosshairs decal that's lined with paw prints runs by. His hat and pants have brown spots on them and he holds a large purple bible. He moves so quickly she can barely register his unique presence as he bounds towards the interior of the island. The tyrant Bartholomew Kuma: Warlord of the Sea.

Thinking of everything she's been taught and noting his direction, she lets her Haki fade and waits to be spirited away by spider silk. Sure enough, she finds herself in a dark coffin being ferried to the mansion. She uses the concentrated sunblade to melt the web that binds her and waits.

A chill runs through Karmen as his presence stirs vivid memories of the night she left home: She can still feel the cold rain on her skin, hear the thunder crashing around her, or was it the crack of the gun in her father's hand? She sees the smoke from its barrel and the blood pouring from Pierce's shoulder. He yells for her to run.

He had help waiting just outside the gate, he had said. She runs to find them so they can save Pierce. Relieved, she finds the gentle giant. Instead of returning to face her father as she begs, she remembers Kuma's warm hand wrapping around her as she tries to run back to her friend. Pain cuts through the side of her head. Then they're flying. They break through the turbulent clouds and the moonlight glistens off the tears streaming in a trail behind her. She screams things that she doesn't remember and hits him until her hands bleed. At some point she passes out.

When she wakes he is still holding her. Her hands and head are bandaged. It is day and they are still flying. His face remains expressionless as he reaches into his coat and holds out an apple. She has no appetite and lies quietly in his grasp. He keeps the apple out until around midnight when her growling stomach forces her to accept it. She throws it up and Kuma uses his coat to wipe her face. She sleeps. Wakes. Flies. Traces the blood stains left on his jacket.

She is able to keep down an apple the next day. In the afternoon land approaches quickly and Kuma cushions their fall as a paw print embeds itself in the ground beneath them. They land in a small clearing near a rocky shore. A man in a green cloak stands in a small boat docked nearby. There are three portions of food in front of him. The men eat and discuss the events of three days ago and what was to happen now. She heard little and ate even less.

Karmen is passed between groups of people every few days for a month. Her dreams are punctuated with flashbacks of blood and bullets and leering men. Every day she is grilled on a cover story and a new identity. When she is brought to Syrup Village she is Valentine W. Karmen, sole survivor of a storm-wrecked merchant ship in the East Blue. The gash on her head heals until it is barely noticeable and she can hide it under her hair. She has learned the names of various islands and general details that anyone in the area would know. Her coaching cannot quiet her nightmares and her guilt, but they provide a foundation to begin from. She builds her strength by scrubbing houses and began planning. The fastest way back home is to cross the North Blue. She would take the first ship that she felt she could trust. Unfortunately they are few and far in between.


	34. Chapter 34: Old Friends

Karmen sways inside the coffin that the mouse-spider zombies carry through Moriah's mansion. With a thud against the wall, her dark enclosure finally stops moving. She lets the footsteps recede before opening the lid. She checks her bag for ingredients before leaving the empty shadow room in search of the kitchen. Several zombies step in from adjacent rooms to block her path. She lowers her hood and stuffs her veil into her bag. "Salt, fire, or extreme trauma. Those are the weaknesses of a zombie. That's what he told me, years ago," she says, stepping to face them. She takes a handful of feather darts from her metal quills and drops their empty capsules into her bag. She traces the darts along the liquid dial at her wrist containing her super Plucharon. "I've been saving this one for creatures like you. Not being truly alive, it doesn't matter how badly your bodies are tarnished. I won't be leaving any antidote behind tonight."

After several zombies fall into decaying lumps on the stone floors, their reinforcements start to pause. Shadows rise around Karmen as she retrieves her darts and glares at them. "I've got a bit of a time window, judging by how much this place is shaking. If you desire your shadows, do what I tell you."

Not long after, several zombies carry a giant cup into Moriah's tower, followed by several steaming buckets of tea to fill it. They set it by the window and leave the refills along the wall. Another group of zombies carry in a small table and chair and set up a tea set stolen from Perona's collection nearby. The warlord in the room watches the processions leave as Karmen seats herself and sips her tea. "Impressive."

"If there's one thing I learned from my parents, it's how to use threats to twist the arm of the unwilling." Karmen throws a dart into the shadows behind her. A mouse spider collapses to the floor and decays until a shadow rises from the remaining puddle and flies out the open door to the balcony. "And how to control the flow of information." Her eyes pass over him carefully. "It's been a while, Kuma."

"Hello, Karmen." There are glass lenses where his eyes used to be. She wonders how many modifications he's had in the last two years. He stands stiffer than he did when she was a child. Valcour Island fell inside Kuma's territory. He would stop by every few months and she would convince him to take tea in the vineyard and he would speak to her in a gentle voice like no one she had ever known. He made her feel safe and cared for when so many were dying around her. She finds it hard to take her eyes away from the man who kept her human and sane growing up. She wonders what she would have become if it hadn't been for this man. Despite the subtle signs of change in him, she is relieved by his presence. "Mihawk said you'd be with them. I was told you tried to call me." He assesses her. "You're hurt."

"I got shot by a government agent, but my crew patched me up. He wasn't really trying to kill me, but I wouldn't play along. I'm fine, really. Killing zombies just aggravated it a little." She tries to change the subject so he doesn't go off to blow someone up. "I found a cup that suits you a little better than the ones I'd give you back in the vineyard. I had a hell of a time getting it. There's so much I want to tell you." She laughs softly. "It's a bit of a reversal of our usual conversations, huh? You'd always be the ones telling the stories." Her eyes focus on the steam coming from the cups as he stares at her patiently. "All those stories. I didn't know what they were until I got to Enies Lobby and realized I knew the layout of the Tower of Law and that I should avoid CP9 at all costs. You told me about the Navy being in Arlong's pocket, Impel Down and Warden Magellan, this place, and all the others. My crew's out there fighting Moriah and Hogback, right?" She takes a steady sip of her tea as the ground shakes from another impact. "You were preparing me to fight them, weren't you? Or at least, survive them."

"I thought it might become relevant." His voice is soft and there's a hint of pride in his statement. It only took getting shot for her to figure it all out.

"I haven't seen you in so long. I don't know where to start." She looks at the stiffness of his face. "I see you've gone back to Dr. Vegapunk. How have you been?"

"I've gotten by." He sets his bible on the table. "You look sad."

She looks at the ears on his hat, remembering how happy her younger self had been when he finally agreed to let her sew them on. Winston, Godwin's tailor uncle, had to secure them properly later. That was when Godwin had promised to teach her how to sew. Now Godwin was gone and it looked like Kuma might soon follow. "He's worked his way up to your face. I'm just scared that one day you'll be standing there and won't remember me." Kuma doesn't say anything. "I know your work is important, but I'm afraid you'll become the very thing you hate."

He finally picks up his cup and takes a drink. "I saw the apple trees."

Karmen forgives his change of subject and smiles at him. "I like them far more than grapes." Despite the cup's size, Kuma drains it in two drinks. She dumps five buckets into it as a refill.

"You're going back there."

"Yes. I have to."

"Are you prepared?"

"I will be." She looks deep into his mirrored lenses, searching for any remains of his real eyes, and asks the question she's been dreading, afraid of whatever answer he'd gave. "Is Pierce alive, Kuma?"

"Yes."

Relief pours through her like bloodroot. Like any poison, it leaves a hint of fear in its wake. Pierce had been alive and alone in her father's wrath for two years. "How bad is it?"

"I'm not sure."

Karmen takes a sip to clear her thoughts. "It's obvious now that you had some sort of plan for me. If I continue on as I am now, I may not turn out the way you expected. Is that alright? It may seem strange, but… I value your approval more than anyone else's."

The sounds of battle rage below them as the crew fights Oars. He watches her face as she leans forward to see what strategy was being tried. She notes a few missing shadows. "You seem calm, even though your friends are fighting."

"I have faith in them. And I'm injured, so they wouldn't let me fight anyways. Especially against that thing. Last time they tied me to a chair." Karmen sips her tea broodingly. "Our fights always seem to have a lot of running to them, and a bit of a pattern: The crew faces an enemy two or three times, always get bloodied and beaten, but grow immensely stronger with their resolve and come out with a spectacular victory. I'd be lying if I said they never made me worry, though." She puts a hand over her aching wound and sighs, knowing she's in no shape to run or fight at all. She could barely climb the stairs after taking out the low level zombies she had. "I'm really just the secretary, but I've been working hard to make myself combat ready."

"I saw the wanted poster."

"It's nothing compared to the bounty you had, but I like it." Karmen smiles happily. "The Scarlet Secretary. I think it has a nice ring to it. If he knew it was me, daddy would be so disappointed." She thinks she sees a hint of a smile on Kuma's face.

"Tell me about your crew and what's happened since I saw you last."

Karmen refills both their cups and smiles as the memories come flooding back to her. "I ended up in Syrup Village on Gekko Island. Ironic, right? It was a quiet town, but every morning around seven, a boy would come running through town yelling that pirates were coming. He and I became good friends." Karmen tells him everything. She talks while watching the fight. He notes that her face becomes emotionless when the crew is losing and how she grins when they gain the advantage. When she's finished the sky threatens dawn. The last of the tea long since abandoned, Karmen presses her forehead against the window, watching the last of the battle. When Moriah absorbs the shadows they move back to the balcony where Kuma had been standing. She grips the iron rails as the sunlight warms her cheek.

When Luffy knocks down the building, Kuma picks her up and carries her to a safe vantage point on a rooftop, holding her tight as everyone in the square burst into flames. Her shoulders relax as shadows pour out of the defeated warlord and the flames subside. He releases her and she sinks to her knees. "Everyone's back to normal. What a relief," she sighs and stands, smiling at her companion. "Moriah's down. I suppose you've got to go back to work now." Kuma nods. "I don't suppose you'd want to meet my crew? They may be a little terrified of you at the moment, but I'd love to tell them about how you've taken care of me."

He removes his government issued transponder snail from his pocket. "Try not to interfere."

"What do you-" Kuma is suddenly gone from her side. She soon finds him sitting on the ruined tower below. Knowing she'd never get down fast enough, she pushes her observation Haki to its limits to read their facial movements to recreate Kuma's conversation with his transponder snail and the government agent on the other side telling him to kill the crew. She grips the roof and yells his name, but she's too far away and the wind is carrying her voice away from the courtyard. She watches as Zoro steps to face him and the crew begins to fall one by one.

Karmen remembers Mihawk's words on Skypia. "They're full of potential, but I don't think that will satisfy him." Wasn't the fight with Moriah enough to assess the crew? Or was that the exact reason he was following orders now? Was he mad at Luffy for knocking over the tower she was in? Was there a reason he couldn't overlook a direct order even after he knew her attachment to them?

"Kuma," she whispers. "What do they have on you?" She calms herself and watches as Kuma mostly lets the crew wipe themselves out with their own attacks. Warlords love to test people. Warlords love to test people. The words ring over and over in her mind. "Please don't kill them," she whispers. She's nearly blown off the roof as Kuma releases his bomb, but he had placed her in a position that negated most of the shock wave from the square. Still, she is barely able to stay conscious. She forces her Haki back up to hear make sure everyone's still alive. It takes her a moment to focus it, so she sees Zoro strike Kuma before she can do a count on heartbeats.

Her own heart drops as she sees the metal in his shoulder and the laser beam pour out of his mouth. "What have they done to you, Kuma?" He glances in her direction and pulls his sleeve to cover his shoulder. Did they give him supersonic hearing too? She "listens" to their conversation, unable to move as Zoro and Sanji offer their lives in place of Luffy's and the crew. In his defiance of Zoro's offered trade, all reservations towards Sanji fade from Karmen's mind. She silently thanks Zoro for knocking him out. Upon seeing the red paw print form from Luffy, she becomes nauseous. "Not that one," she whispers.

There had been several times growing up when she had asked Kuma to take the suffering from a servant. There was always a compromise to it. The pain has to be felt by someone, he had told her. Her response would always be the same. "They were hurt because I'm powerless to help them. I'll willingly take it if it means they don't have to suffer."

It hurt. Sometimes it was as bad as the concentrated sunblade without an antidote. He would take her to an isolated location and hold her while she cried in agony. As she got older, she cried less and became more emotionless. In these times, he would use the power on her and absorb her mental anguish into himself. He never flinched once. He never cried out or said a word. He would just hold her until it passed. She would cry for him. Telling him it was her pain to feel. Her burden. His eyes were always kind towards her as he said he couldn't bear to watch her suffer all alone. It was after one such conversation that he brought Pierce with him as a present for her. The grape she threw bounced off his forehead and landed somewhere in his hair. She yelled at him for the first time then, saying she didn't want a slave. Not from him. His answer had been simple: "Then make him your friend."

How much suffering had Luffy accumulated? The captain is a monstrous man who can take a worse beating than anyone she had ever seen. She wonders if the swordsman could handle that kind of abuse even in a healthy state. She had never seen or experienced a bubble that big and blanched at the thought of it, watching the red color swirl menacingly. Horrified, and extremely awed, Karmen watches Zoro shove his hands into the giant paw of Luffy's suffering. She watches him take a few steps and lets herself collapse against the roof, rolling onto her back and feeling the relief of sunlight. He'd live. They'd all live. A shadow passes over her and she opens her eyes to see Kuma. "Don't scare me like that, you jerk." Even with seeing her crew nearly annihilated at his hand, with all of them still alive she can't bring herself to call him anything else. She stands and faces him. "First you leave Pierce behind and now this? If they hadn't been willing to sacrifice everything…" Tears well up in her eyes. "Don't become someone I don't know. I can't bear it."

"That night two years ago, Gallowcomb had several snipers on the grounds. Even I cannot repel several bullets at once. It was between you or Pierce and I made my choice." He places a pawed hand on her head. Despite everything, she still finds comfort in this familiar gesture. "As for the rest… I approve." His hand leaves her head and with a soft pop she is left alone on the roof.


	35. Chapter 35: The Smell of Wine

Karmen picks through the rubble of Moriah's mansion. It took forever to even figure out how to get off the roof Kuma had left her on. Luckily there had been a loose attic vent she was able to break in. She wonders if she would have been stuck on the roof with no way down if Kuma's shockwave hadn't nearly toppled the building. When she finally finds her way past the giant rubble to the crew, Chopper is treating Zoro.

Yet again, the only salvageable things he's wearing are his two favorite clothing items. "I… I'll wash his haramaki." She can't bring herself to take the bandana he has so much pride in. Being black, the blood doesn't show much on it. Chopper passes her the stomach scarf. She goes into the next room and Lola's pirates set her up a wash basin. Sitting on a stool, she scrubs the scarf until the water is red. Had Kuma only been testing them and making a show for the government or had he been trying to give her a message? Would she one day have to choose between family and friends beyond what she had already done? If it came down to her loyalty between Kuma and the crew, she wasn't sure who she would choose. She didn't want to have to make that kind of decision. And of all people, Kuma knew how much she hates the sight of blood, and yet he had made the crew bleed. Gripping the fabric in one hand, she stands and kicks the basin over, spilling all the red water onto the floor. She refills the bucket and scrubs until the water stops changing color. Sanji comes to speak with her but pauses in the doorway. She's holding the clean scarf to her forehead and sobbing quietly. He silently returns to the rest of the group, letting her have a moment alone.

Later, Karmen walks outside and hangs the scarf to dry. Sanji meets her before she can be seen by the others and looks at her intently. She returns his gaze wearily and nods once, understanding that he wants to make sure she's ok. He places a hand on her shoulder and looks deep into her eyes, not saying anything. His silent question hangs between them. Do you know? She wets her lips and nods with clenched teeth. Are you going to say anything? She shakes her head, gripping her damp shirt. How could she? He gives her a gentle smile and pulls her into a short hug. He pats her shoulders as he releases her and turns back to where the pirate groups are resting. She follows him inside.

Karmen looks at Chopper. The doctor reindeer smiles at her and nods. Zoro will be ok. Unable to sit quietly while Sanji cooks and the crew is in such high spirits at surviving, she goes back outside. Inside Moriah's horizontal tower, everything is rubble. She climbs through a hole in what was once the floor. The window far above her lets in light that shows the dancing dust that becomes agitated as she proceeds. A reflection glares against her left eye and she turns to find the source. There amongst the stones are the shattered remains of her giant cup. A few feet away, she is able to find her missing feather dart. She climbs out of the tower and cleans the dart off with a handkerchief. The Plucharon burns her hands, but she welcomes the distraction. When her pen is restored, she sits on rubble and stares at the shard of porcelain she'd brought out with her.

All her life, Kuma had been a friend. For as long as she could remember, he would come to inspect Valcour Island, which lay inside his territory, and he would stop in the vineyards and have tea with her. If things were too painful, she would call him over a transponder snail. If he wasn't working, which he often was, the call would go through. If he was in the area, he would come. No matter how long it took, he would always return her call and come in person when he could, even if that was months later. She would always greet him barefoot, ashamed of the blood soaked shoes she had after one of her father's punishments. Father never punished anyone when Kuma was there. The warlord didn't speak harshly or even flaunt his power. Though he would sometimes take her off the island, he would never let her watch him work, despite her begging. He would sometimes blast away overzealous rabble, but he never killed anyone in front of her. Kuma made her feel safe, but he always had to leave. As soon as he was gone, the horror would begin again.

Godwin would ferry her to town to have his uncle Winston provide her new shoes. His specialty was being a tailor, but he was proficient in other areas as well, including cobbling. She always apologized profusely over ruining another pair. She had once attempted to take them off and put them somewhere dry and safe when father began his tortures, but her carefully trained emotionless mask always broke when the blood touched her bare feet and it would make everything worse. Godwin's uncle had never charged her more than what the materials of the shoes cost, and as she grew older she began to suspect it was less than even that. She wonders if Winston is still alive. Her mother loved the clothes and shoes the tailor made, so she would never have shot him. If his health has held out, there is a good chance that he'll be there when she returns. Thinking of the tailor brings her back to Pierce. Karmen grips the porcelain shard as she remembers what Kuma had said. Pierce is alive.

"Is that your cup? What happened to it?"

Karmen snaps out of her thoughts as Nami approaches. "Yeah. That ghost girl took it off the ship last night," she says. "I bought it to serve a giant. I guess it served its purpose." She turns the piece in her hands, not caring about the sharp edges. "I never would have gotten this cup if Zoro hadn't walked by."

"He's going to be ok."

"I know. Chopper's already worked wonders on him," she sighs. "I'll be three logs into our voyage on Sunny once I record what happened and we almost lost three people last night. Three doesn't seem to be my lucky number." This was also the beginning months of the third year that Pierce had been in her father's clutches. She taps the shard against her knee reflectively. "Nami, were there any silver necklaces in all that treasure? I don't want any jewels, just a chain of some sort."

Nami watches the wheels turning in the secretary's mind and smiles. "I think I saw just the thing."

"And that was a beautiful dress you were wearing earlier. Do you mind if I cut it up?"

"This isn't like the Cindry plate thing, is it?"

"Of course not. I appreciate the fabric it's made from but would prefer it in a different form. And when you do eventually decide to settle down and get married, can I make your dress?"

They make their way to the ship. While Nami digs through the mountain of treasure while Karmen makes her way down to her workstation and picks through her collection of liquid dials. She selects a palm sized, dark moss green dial. She hadn't made use of this one yet, but now knew the perfect place for it.

The women make their way back to the mansion together. Karmen leaves her embroidery basket full several large squares of white silk. She checks the first mate's condition again with Chopper and begins exploring the other rooms until she finds a staircase down. There are large stones that have fallen in the entrance, but she's able to slip through and stumble her way down in the dark. She finds a shelf at the base of the stairs holding a tinderbox. She lights the gas lanterns on the walls as she walks the long corridor. She finally finds what she's been looking for: The wine cellar. She knew Moriah wasn't the kind to share and he had plenty of bottles and barrels.

Karmen completely ignores the wine and goes straight for the hard stuff. After finding his hidden stash, she proudly holds up a bottle of Junmai Daiginjo sake. She is turning to leave and tell the crew about the party fuel she'd located when a label on the wine rack leaps off the shelf at her. One, five, ten, fifteen racks of DavenGallow wine. She sets the sake on the floor and pulls a bottle off the shelf. The mere sight of the goddess holding grapes on the label makes her sick. She turns and chunks the bottle at a bare patch of wall. Destructive glee fills her spine and radiates through her ribs, leaving tingling rage in her stomach. She throws another. And another. And another. She loses herself in her rampage as wine puddles on the floor and soaks into her shoes. In her mind she's back on Valcour Island where it always smells of grapes and copper. She doesn't stop until the rack is almost empty and someone steps into the room behind her.

"I'm sorry, Winston, I've ruined another pair," she says as she backs out of the red puddle. "Godwin can't wash the blood out of my shoes. I'm sorry I keep having to replace them. There's always so much blood. The vineyards are watered with it. It's in the ground, in my shoes, in the basement. I can't stand the smell."

Hairy arms wrap around Karmen from behind, pulling her away from the wine. She stumbles out of her shoes, stepping on broken glass. She can feel the warmth of the body holding her and the gentle heartbeats sound in her ear, but she can't quite place them. This person is not supposed to be on Valcour Island. "It's ok, Karmen." The soft voice is soothing. "We'll stop it."

"I don't want to go back, Chopper," she says, letting his strong arms ground her in reality. "But there's blood in those bottles. I can't leave them there. I can't leave him."

"You've been acting strangely all day," he says. "What happened while we were fighting Moriah?"

"I found out for sure that Pierce is alive."

"Was his shadow here?"

Karmen tucks her chin into his arms. "I've been gone for two years and I know my father. There's no way he hasn't been hurt." She pushes broken glass around with her toes. "I don't want to help just him. There are so many people I haven't been able to protect." She taps his arm and he releases her. She picks up one of the few bottles left on the rack and pries out the cork with her pen. "This wine was made five years ago. Smell it."

Chopper sniffs the contents. "It smells like grapes."

She sets the bottle down and uncorks another. "This one was bottled last year." She waves it under his nose.

"It smells like copper."

She throws the bottle and it smashes over all the others. "I grew up on a vineyard, Chopper. It takes a lot of blood in the soil to make grapes smell like that. They're dying." She picks up the sake and leaves the room, leaving her shoes behind.

Karmen returns to the mansion as the celebrations kick off with new shoes and a large bottle of scorpion venom. Placing a folded stomach scarf next to the unconscious swordsman, she sets herself up at a table and pours herself a glass of poison. A few hours in she gives Robin a red-faced grin. "You should meet Pierce," she slurs. "Pierce has the best eyes. They're like clouds. Not like stormy clouds, or Nami's lightning-thunder whatevers, but like the ones you see on the horizon after there's been a lot of wind or a breezy cyclone whatsit. Like before it rains or like that stone over there, only lighter. And he does this look thing. It's the best. It makes you feel like you're grounded. You know? I don't know how clouds make you feel grounded, but he's awesome like that." She raises her glass to the pirates around her. "To Pierce's eyes!"

The pirates in question are drunk enough to toast anything. "Pierce his eyes!" they cheer back.

"Close enough," she mumbles, downing her shot and plopping back into her chair.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Robin chuckles.

Karmen pours another shot. "Pierce is alive, my big cup broke, and Kuma… Kuma didn't kill anyone before he left. Why shouldn't I enjoy myself? I've only let myself go while riding fishes. I'm going to disappoint father so bad. I've got a tattoo, I'm a criminal, all my friends are slaves and criminals, and I got mad and scrubbed the deck spotless earlier. You could eat off that thing. Life is good. Once Pierce is back I'm gonna make daddy hate us so much. I mean, he does already, but I'm really gonna rub it in his face. Like, ruin his company and piss off the kingdom or something. He's gonna want me dead and he won't know where to look. I'm not writing him another letter. Not one."

Chopper walks by and swipes her poison. "You've had enough."

"I haven't danced on a table yet, Dr. Deer. Give that back." She stumbles after the reindeer and somehow finds herself leaning on Sanji's shoulder. "Oh. It's you, Mr. Prince."

"You're drunk, Karmen dear," he says, holding her up.

"You know, I didn't like you when we first met." She smiles at him and crinkles her nose. "Daddy threw so many suitors at me that I hated handsome, well-dressed men on principle. And then there's that thing with your face." She seems like she's going to go somewhere with this but her finger follows the thought in spirals through the air to where it dissipates into oblivion. "Nope. That one died. Poof." She giggles. "I really didn't like love letters or poetry either. I got so much junk mail from daddy's friends. The whole thing just reminded me of grapes. I hate grapes. Hate 'em. I miss the dancing though. That was fun as long as the creepy old guys didn't touch my back. Daddy always made me wear skimpy dresses. That's why my red one covers so much." She blinks a couple times, as if to clear her vision, and frowns. "My brain fish is swimming down the wrong canal, I think. Am I rambling? I don't ramble, do I? Well anyway, I totally didn't like you when you first joined the crew, but you're a pretty great guy and you cook great too. You are manly and honorable and I'm really happy you're here. We should dance sometime. But not tonight. My feet aren't listening to my brain fish. It's a thrasher tuna, I think."

"It's definitely thrashing," Sanji notes. "I'm honored you felt you could tell me that and I'd relish the opportunity to dance with you when you're sober." He props her up against the wall while he makes a makeshift couch out of rubble and covers it in blankets and pillows. She gladly accepts his efforts and crawls under the blanket.

"I'm going to give you a nice apple when they're ripe. I love apples." She digs in her bag and places the broken piece of her giant cup under her pillow. "I wonder what kind of canals bear-fish swim in."

Sanji smiles and pulls the blanket over her shoulder. "I haven't the slightest idea."


	36. Chapter 36: We're Your Family Now

Sunlight wakes Karmen in the morning while most everyone else sleeps on. She puts the mossy green liquid dial and the silver necklace in her pocket and shakes Usopp awake, motioning for him to be quiet. They tiptoe over sleeping pirates until they're in the rubble outside. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asks. "I thought for sure you'd be hung over."

"I need your expert craftsmanship." And he's hooked. "I'll make you a present too." She removes the contents of her pocket and holds them up for him. "Can you attach these two like you did with my bracelet?"

"You're making a matching set? What poison are you going to put in this one?"

"Sake." He looks at her. "It's not for me." She holds up her charm bracelet and examines the small green shells dangling there. "I need Nami to shock some more of my Plucharon. Those zombies wiped me out."

"Aren't you getting low on your Little Garden poisons?"

"This will be the last dose of Plucharon I make. It's kind of fitting though," she says, smiling wistfully. "The New World will bring new adventures and new poisons for me to try. They use poison a lot over there. That's half the reason I decided to start my immunities training."

"How many poisons are you taking a day now?" he asks, bending a piece of metal around the shell.

"About fifteen that I put in my tea, all in Chopper approved doses, of course. I've been able to make a lotion out of some, so contact poisons won't have so much effect. I only use that one for a few hours before my bath through. I have to wash the tub afterwards, but it kills two birds with one stone."

"Isn't it counterproductive to clean after you take a bath?"

"Not if you don't want the rest of the ship developing mysterious rashes." He hands her the finished product. She hugs him. "You're so handy. Thank you for putting up with my weird requests."

"Karmen," Usopp starts as she pulls away. "Chopper says you may have seen Pierce's shadow before Luffy took down Moriah."

"I know now that Pierce is alive." She smiles softly. "Your stories helped keep him that way. I really owe you. If there's anything that I can ever do, let me know."

"Just get him back safe so that you can smile happily without regret."

"Then I guess I should start planning some things with Luffy, then." She twirls the necklace around her finger and prances off to the ship. When she arrives, Robin is on deck reading a book. "You're up early. Weren't you all asleep?"

"We woke up super early to make sure you didn't work too hard," Franky says from the doorway. "The guys back at the mansion finished their jobs early and went back to sleep."

She notes the dirty rag in his hand. "You cleaned? Everything?"

"Most of it."

"What am I supposed to do until we're ready to ship out?"

"Dr. Hogback had some books on toxins that we recovered," Robin says. "We put them in your section of the library."

"New books?" Karmen starts to step towards the library, but shakes her head. "I can't sit still _now_. Not in a normal way, at least. I need to do something… active. I've already done this weeks' share of overthinking yesterday. Though, I guess I did leave some wine bottles in tact…"

"I may have overlooked the crow's nest," Robin says. "I carried some cleaning supplies up there, but I was distracted by this chapter."

"You mean you aren't going to tie me to a chair if I try to climb the ratlines?"

Franky takes a drink of cola. "You'd just cut your way out, little sis." Robin chuckles.

Karmen runs to the library and tucks one of the books into her waistband before scurrying up the ratlines. Instead of going inside, she climbs the outside of the observatory and clings to the flagpole, surveying the ocean over the wall of Thriller Bark. "How's the view?" Robin asks through the transponder snails. Karmen holds up a thumb. She sees them exchange a fist bump as they leave the ship. She pulls out the book and begins reading about common household toxins. A few chapters in, she makes a mental note to raid Frank's scrap pile for traces of antimony, an irritant found in most metals. With her contact resistance from her toxic lotion, it probably wouldn't bother her too badly, but put in a make-up or hand cream, it could be a useful distraction.

After a while the wind becomes so strong that it's hard to hold the book open and her butt is stiff from trying to stay put on a curved roof. She tucks the book back into her pants and lets herself slide down to a window. She hangs upside down over it and swings the window outward. Twisting around, she lets her feet dangle inside and slithers in like a backwards snake. She sees the cleaning supplies Robin left and instantly notices a heavy odor of man-sweat. She opens the other windows. Other than the weights and a couch lining the walls, there isn't much to the room. She likes the telescope and decides she'll have to go stargazing sometime.

Cleaning only takes thirty minutes, even with scrubbing each weight until she could see her face in them. She likes the acoustics in the small room, so she straps weights to her ankles and tap dances while reading more of her new book. Two hours later her left arm is marked up with scribbled notes that will take three days to wash off.

"That was fun to watch."

"Luffy?" She turns from where she had been leaning to return the ankle weights to find the captain sitting in the window. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"A while. I called up but you were really into your book."

"I was trying to find uses for some of these toxins. I think better when I'm moving."

"We'll get to meet Pierce soon, right? That's why you've been working so hard, even though we can't go anywhere until Zoro's better."

Karmen dries her face on a towel and drops it on the scuff marks she's made, using her foot to scrub them away. "He's so close, Captain. I just want to be able to look into his eyes and know he's safe." She replaces the used towel and puts the one from the floor with the cleaning supplies.

"When we get there, I might have to kick your dad's butt."

"I'll handle daddy. You take out the security."

"You'll be looking for Pierce, right?"

"I know where he'll be. I have a few things I want to say to that man before I disown him. If I find Pierce first then I may kill my father before I can say them. He's not a kind man, Luffy. I'm sure Pierce has suffered these two years. After seeing how I reacted when Usopp was hurt in only one day, I'm afraid of what I might do."

"You won't kill him." Karmen is surprised by the sure tone of Luffy's voice. "No matter how bad of a guy he is, he's still your father. That's why you've been so frustrated, isn't it?"

"Partially," she agrees. "Another is that in all our battles, I've never killed anyone, except zombies, but they were already dead. If I were to kill him, I'm afraid of becoming like him. What would keep me from killing my mother or other nobles like them? I have a cousin who killed his own family. He never stopped."

"No matter what happens when we get there, we'll make sure that doesn't happen, 'cause we're your family now." His words strike a cord inside her. How many happy trios of mother-father-daughter's had she watched in the street and she found her real family in a rag tag bunch of misfits.

"You're right," she says with a smile. They're her rag tag bunch of misfits, but there was someone missing. "Thank you, Luffy. I'd like to discuss something with everyone later, if that's alright."

"We'll do it once Zoro's better," he agrees.

"Luffy! Did you give Karmen her breakfast?" Sanji's voice calls from the deck below. Luffy grins and jumps out the window. Karmen follows using the ladder. "I swear," Sanji grumbles as they watch their captain run away with a goose egg. The chef holds up a plate of food. "I thought he might eat it so I brought more."

She takes the plate and thanks him, sitting on the swing to eat it. "I feel like I said something weird last night," she admits.

Sanji gets a sly grin. "You confessed your undying love for me and asked me to whisk you away into the sunset. Being a gentleman, I decided to wait until you were sober."

"Nice try."

"Can't blame a guy, right?" He shrugs. "We just had a heart to heart. To sum it up, you said you don't dislike me anymore."

She remembers how he shook in front of Kuma when he offered to trade his life for the crew. "How can I dislike you when you cook like this?" She takes a few bites, savoring each one. "And I was unfair to you. I was paranoid and looking for enemies in every shadow. Since joining this ship you've done nothing to deserve that. I'm sorry for my prejudice."

"I said so last night, but I don't mind repeating myself. I like who you turned out to be. I'll save the poetry, but you're a fine mademoiselle. Pierce is lucky to have a woman like you fighting for him."

"We're sure to run into a lot of nobility searching for him. There are some scary people in the North Blue and the New World. There's always the threat of being recognized. If my suspicions are correct, this goes far beyond just my parents. I want to be Valentine so badly, but I think I need the Scarlet Secretary a while longer."

"You'll always be our dear Valentine, no matter what you hide under that veil."

Karmen spends the day embroidering silk squares into handkerchiefs. Each had the letter of the name of the person it was to be given to as well as a few personal touches. Luffy's has a straw hat, pink gum bubbles, crowns, and generic Jolly Rogers. Nami's has berry symbols, maps, treasure chests, and books. Usopp's has cross hairs, sling shots, the word "captain," and triumphant men standing on the bow of boats. Sanji's has kitchen knives, black shoes, ladles, and blue circles with a dividing cross in the middle with the four oceans labeled N, S, W, and E. Chopper's has red medical crosses, candy, cherry blossoms, and skulls and crossbones. Robin's has books, flowers, relics, and poneglyphs. Franky's has wrenches and hammers, Speedos, cola bottles, and pirate ships. Brook's has violins, music notes, bones, and whales. She makes Zoro's last. At this point her hands are sore and stiff, but she makes herself finish, sitting by his bedside for motivation. If he can offer his life to Kuma and survive, she can finish a few thousand stitches in a day. She talks while she works, not really caring what comes out of her mouth so long as he has something to listen to.

"I know you aren't fond of my fairy tales. I can't imagine why, but we do seem to have a few cultural differences. There's one story that I like, but never really gave any credit to. They say if you fold a thousand paper cranes you can have a wish. I don't know how the bird equivalent of a dead tree can grant wishes, but I like that a thousand is a good, even number. You usually stop on even numbers when you're working out. It's not something that I've paid much attention to. I actually only noticed it the other day. It's weird having you work out in the crow's nest all the time now. I miss the clank of metal. Sanji's cooking makes similar sounds, but it doesn't have that rhythm. Something about it reminds me of a tango. Maybe now that Brook is with us we'll have more dancing. Do you think Luffy would learn any traditional dances? He usually just hops around with chopsticks up his nose. If I keep up this subject then I'll have ball gowns in your handkerchief instead of stomach scarves." She pulls out a stitch and examines the developing boarder. His has flexing arms, stomach scarves, beer mugs, and three swords over a globe. "One monogram to go and I'll have them all finished. You aren't getting yours until you wake up, so open your eyes soon, ok?" She finishes his and tucks it into her basket, carefully folding the others and passing them out to the crew.

"Karmen," Sanji starts carefully. "This fabric is… Don't tell me you…" Tears begin welling up in his eyes.

"Yes, it's that beautiful wedding dress Nami was in. What did you expect? I narrowly escaped a fatal wedding. You're lucky I didn't set it on fire. Just be happy that you can carry it with you wherever you go now."

"I'll cherish this forever." He spins in happy circles, clutching it to his chest. He nearly breaks out into poetry but catches himself just in time. "Thank you very much," he says instead.

"That's better."

The next day she sits in the manor embroidering again. She put silver quills and scrollwork on her veil to make it look like a snake's mouth with fangs and fruitless grape vines into the red skirts of her dress. The stems spiral into faces and wine bottles and goddesses. In the underskirt, she embroiders quills, the Straw Hat Jolly Roger, and fish. She makes sure to include an undulate stingray, using three colors to mark the back, adding a few mermaid purses and made it look like they were bobbing with apples.

The fabric gets pulled from her hands by the outer skirt. "I thought you hated the vineyard."

"It's about time you woke up." She spreads the fabric in Zoro's hands. "It's camouflage, in a sense, for where we're going. I need to be clearly associated with Valcour if I'm going to show my face around nobles. And for the rest of the time it's a reminder of what I'm fighting for."

"It sounds like you've been planning." He hands her dress back.

"How are you?"

"I'm good." She raises her eyebrow at him questioningly but doesn't say anything. She knows more than anyone that a person isn't "good" after receiving someone's suffering. "I'm recovered enough to go ahead and get the "What did I tell you" lecture over with, so go ahead."

She looks him over, examining him closely with her Haki. Any normal person would be in a coma or dead. "You're alive and coherent. That's all that matters."

That night, as the crew prepares to leave, Karmen stops in the cemetery to admire the grave Franky and Usopp made for Brook's crew. She places a hand of goodbye on the hilt of Zoro's dead sword, and leans a broken piece of porcelain with a freshly painted paw print against it.


	37. Chapter 37: Somewhere I'd Like to Go

_Valentine's Personal Log 23: So Close and Yet So Far_

 _There are four islands in the general vicinity that my family likes to visit. One is so close that I can taste the dumplings in the marketplace. Then there's Sabaody, San Faldo, and Valcour Island far to the North. I doubt Pierce would be at San Faldo though. Baldwin has an estate there and if Father has had no dealings with him since the night I left as Mr. 6 in Alabasta and the black market broker in Water 7 reported then it's pretty safe to cross it off the list. That leaves the archipelago, home, and Galaval Island on the other side of the Red Line if he's not on the one I'm about to ask to search. Home, I write. There's nothing Homey about Valcour Island. I'd like to think that I have a home with Kuma, but if he spends any more time with Vegapunk... I'm not even going to entertain that thought._

 _Despite my excitement over getting closer to Pierce, my anxiety has grown as well. It's been two years. Two very, very long years with a man who delights in torture. I told myself that I was saving up for travel and working on building my strength and skills, but part of me thinks I was scared to go back. That was when I was alone though. My crew gives me strength. I just hope Pierce doesn't resent me for my cowardice. I always planned on going back for him, but I left him there for far too long. Don't hate me, dear. I'll be there as soon as I can._

Usopp and Robin look down the long table at their crew. Nami sits in the first chair, counting gold coins and jewels. Luffy sits beside her, eating meat. Zoro sits on his other side, drinking a mug of beer. Brook sits beyond him with a tall glass of milk. Karmen sits at the end of the table, mixing a spoonful of poisons into her tea. Chopper sits on the far side of the table across from Brook, eating candy. Franky sits next to him, drinking cola. Sanji sits near the two empty seats, ogling Nami. The sniper turns to the archaeologist. "We need a thing." She waves a book at him and sits next to Sanji. Usopp sits at the other end of the table with a sigh. "I need a thing." He turns his attention to the sea chart Karmen is unrolling. Several cups are instantly set on the edges to keep it flat to the table. Nami frowns in protest.

"As Chopper said, I found out for sure on Thriller Bark that Pierce is alive. I'm 90% sure he's on my family's property just on the other side of the Red Line, but there's an island nearby that I'd like to check. My mother loved to shop there and several nobles visit the island. I know you want to go to Fishman Island as soon as possible, but if I don't look and make sure…" She points just off the map. "The island is here. I know how to get there from our current location. It takes two weeks for the pose to reset, so if we only stay for a day or two we should be ok. There shouldn't be anyone there that would give us problems this time of year, but I went ahead and came up with a few cover stories for if I get recognized. Even if it turns up as a wash, we can get some good shopping in. So, permission to go ashore, Captain?"

Luffy swallows the big bite of meat in his mouth and laughs. "Let's go! They've got to have great food if nobles shop there, right? I can't wait! And to look for your friend."

"I'm glad your priorities are in place," Nami mumbles. She steps around the table and examines the sea chart. Karmen shows her the direction they need to travel and tells her about the tricky currents between the magnetic lines.

Karmen stands on the bow of the ship while Nami has Franky adjust the course. Brook walks up beside her with two cups of tea. She gladly accepts the second and watches the horizon. "I haven't been here long enough to know who this Pierce is, but he seems important to you."

"He's more than important. He's family. We're not related by blood, but he is very precious to me."

"You look so anxious when you speak of him. What's the situation?"

She explains everything from her father's violent nature to the recent events with bounty hunters and government agents under her mother's influence. "I can't leave him there all alone any longer."

Brook sips his tea. "I'm sure when you rescue him, he'll be just as happy to be alive as I am right now."

"That's how true family is supposed to make you feel."

As the ship cuts through the waters, Karmen's anxiety has risen to a new high. She's destroyed the sandbag's course in the store room twice, cleaned the already spotless ship, written four pages in her personal log, and scanned the waters for fish big enough to ride. The crew tries to help, and succeed with distracting her for a few hours, but by sunset she's ready to get away. When Sanji finally turns his back, she reverses her observation Haki as far as she can go and slips out onto the deck. No one notices her as she carefully climbs the foremast and sneaks into the crow's nest. Zoro is there lifting weights, perfectly distracted. She thinks to chide him for going against Chopper's orders, then remembers how he had helped her when she was injured in Water 7 and decides he can do whatever he very well pleases. She slips to the open cabinet and removes the ankle weights, hanging them over her shoulders. She peeks through the telescope for a few seconds and sighs when she finds nothing on the horizon.

Karmen leaves the workout room and climbs the main mast, sitting on the platform under the flag pole and strapping on the weights. She focuses her reverse Haki on her feet and begins tap dancing. She practices making the sound unnoticeable, as if there were air under her feet and no sound was being produced at all. The wind buffets her, making it hard to keep her balance. She pushes her feet faster. She's so focused on training her Haki that she doesn't notice the window across from her open and Zoro jumping the 50 ft. gap. Surprised by his landing, she spirals around to the other side of the flag and conceals herself. Zoro is breathing hard. He wobbles and nearly falls, but she grabs his shirt at the last second and leans him against the mast.

"That's you, right Karmen? I can barely focus on you. What are you doing?"

She tones it down. "Sorry. You startled me is all." She steps back around, observing the sweat drenching him. "Kuma really did a number on you, didn't he?" He is about to stoically say nothing and stare out at the ocean when he notices her ankles. He looks at the weights confused. "I, uh, borrowed them. Sorry again."

"When did you…?"

"About an hour ago."

"I was in the workout room all evening and I didn't see you."

"What do you know about Haki?"

"Isn't it like willpower used as a weapon or something?" he asks.

"You use Haki and that's all you know about it?"

"I don't."

"How do you think you can cut steel and shoot those phoenix cannons of yours?"

"Strength and skill," he says flatly.

She sighs and shakes her head. "Anyway, there are variations to the two main types: Armor and Observation. Most people where I'm from can use Haki. I use observation Haki and reverse the polarity to make myself hard to notice." She fades slowly so that he can observe the changes. She watches the vein in his forehead pop up as he struggles to keep his focus on her.

"Stop that. If you keep it up you really will disappear." She goes back to normal and he relaxes some. "I mean all the way."

She sits next to him and releases her Haki a little more. "Sorry. After being in hiding for two years, it's kind of become second nature. My uncle says I still need a lot of work on it, but I've been practicing."

"So it muffles sound too? I couldn't hear you earlier."

"Kind of. I was trying to make it so that the person hearing the sound didn't think they heard the sound."

"So it's a type of hypnosis?"

"In a way." She takes off the weights and sets them beside her. "I can also pair reversed and regular observation Haki to stay in an opponent's blind spot. When I use regular O.H. I can predict the opponent's movements, like those guys on Skypia. If I push it a little further, I can match the speed of an opponent. If I work on it a little more, I'll be able to choose who can see me and who can't." While she talks, she lets go of her cloak completely. Part of her feels naked without it. "Better?"

"Much." She watches him watching her with slight amusement. "How did you learn that anyway?"

She hugs her knees to keep from fading again. "When I was a kid father would always look for me before he started torturing a slave. If he found me, he would sit me in a chair and make me watch and if I reacted at all he would draw it out or use a more painful method. When you spend most of your life wishing you had a way to disappear it comes naturally. Having father constantly looking for a way to hurt me when I was young and then having disgusting men leer at me at his parties I almost _had_ to develop it. Being on the run just meant I had to put it to better use." Zoro doesn't say anything. Her hand brushes the lump in her breast pocket and she sits up a little straighter. "I almost forgot. I have something for you." She pulls out his handkerchief with the dial necklace. "I made these with Usopp's and Nami's help. That's a liquid dial filled with top shelf sake. I thought you could save it for a pick-me-up during a battle, like Luffy and his meat. I left the bottle under the bench in the workout room so you can refill it as needed. I was a little upset when I filled it and almost drank the rest, but I decided to go with scorpion venom instead."

He examines the shell for a moment before he puts the necklace on. It's darker than his hair, but still has the same mossy undertones. She looks at where it hangs just under the collar bones, feeling it has a nice contrast. He then unfolds the handkerchief and rubs his thumb over the needlework, angling each image so he can see better in the moonlight. "These are very thoughtful. Thank you." He leans close and scowls at her. "You're freaking out, aren't you?"

Karmen flinches. "Whatever gives you that idea?"

"You're making everyone presents, you embroidered both skirts on your dress, and you're up here training your legs off."

"Says the guy lifting thousand kilo weights in your condition," she mutters. "I guess neither of us feel strong enough." She lets one foot dangle off the platform and leans against the other knee. They look out at the glittering waves as Brook's violin carries up from the deck below. "Thanks for not dying. I always feel safer with you around."


	38. Chapter 38: Baldwin

Sunny pulls into port in mid-morning. Karmen throws on a blue cloak and places her carefully folded red dress in her bag. She keeps her head low as they make their way into the harbor town, looking for Pierce in all the suspect locations on the way. The crew keeps her in the middle protectively until they reach the shopping district. After she says it's alright for them to enjoy themselves, the crew divides into groups and go into shops, keeping their eyes open as they browse.

Something familiar wafts its way up a side street. Karmen's head turns towards the sound and a wide grin spreads across her face. "I'll be back. Nothing Pierce related." She changes course to go down an ally.

"Karmen!" Usopp calls after her. "Well, she didn't leave a note this time. That's an improvement."

Zoro sighs. "I'll cut down whatever she's after this time and bring her back." He follows her into an enclosed plaza where a small crowd circles in pairs. Music pours out from a nearby building. She stands there with her fingers entwined in front of her mouth and her eyes sparkling. Zoro gets a sly grin on his face and extends an upward palm to Karmen. "Would you like to dance?" He'd spent hours dodging her insomnia and constant activity to practice in secret. Now is a perfect opportunity to show her that he'd picked up a thing or two. Karmen is surprised but elated at the offer. She gracefully accepts his hand and allows herself to be pulled into the sea of people. After a while she can't help but to stifle giggles. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Zoro, dear, might I ask who it is that taught you to dance?"

"Twirly brow. Why?" She swings him to the edge of the square and stops dancing.

Karmen bites a knuckle. "Maybe you should have asked Robin. I'm afraid he taught you the woman's steps." She bursts out laughing while Zoro yells curses to a distant cook, alarming several couples nearby. He glares at them and they quickly turn their attention back to their partners. Somewhere in a spice shop Sanji sneezes.

When she can breathe again, Karmen leads him to a quiet corner of the square. "I'll teach you." She repositions his hands and steps backwards so that he is leading. "Forward, back, step left, that was my toe, a gentle push on my hand, turn here, there you go." Before long he is dancing beautifully.

"It's strange," he says. "The steps kind of remind me of swordplay."

"A dancer and a swordsman both have to be light on their feet," she says, deciding to let him have the moment and ignore his large steps. "Have you watched me while I fight?" He nods, thinking back to Enies Lobby and all the hours she'd spent in the sandbags course. "I'm dancing." He lifts an eyebrow at her. "I avoid getting hit by taking a dance step and use the flow of that step to strike or inflict poison."

"I thought you moved pretty well." Karmen just smiles and prompts him to spin her. "By the way, you teach a lot better than he does."

She gives a short laugh. "Maybe if you didn't fight so much he would have taught you better. If you'd like, I can teach you how to tango or waltz when we're back on the ship."

He leads her into a turn. "That doesn't sound half bad."

Karmen nods at his improvement. "Not bad at all." The song ends and they make their way to the ally. Karmen squeezes his hand before letting go. "I missed dancing like this. Thank you, Zoro. That was lovely."

Zoro smiles and follows her back to the main shopping district. Maybe he'll only maim the cook.

They rejoin the rest of the crew as they come out of a shop. Karmen, in a good mood, swings her arms and grins widely at Usopp's jokes. The sun is high in the sky, the crew is alive and together, shadows included, she's one step closer to finding Pierce, and there's plenty of treasure to shop with. She almost forgets her original apprehension. That is, until she sees the group of people further up the street. She stops so suddenly that Robin runs into her. "Karmen?" She spins around Robin to run, but stops short as she sees another party coming up the street. She runs down the alley and hides behind the corner, resting her arms and forehead against the building as a steady stream of curses pours from her mouth. The crew follows, watching for any sign of danger and not sure what to do.

"What's going on, Karmen?" Usopp asks, laying a hand on her shoulder. She startles at his touch and her hand waivers above a quill before she realizes who it is. She's broken out into a cold sweat and looks pale.

"It's him." Her mind is racing a thousand leagues per second as she peeks at the second party of nobles making their way past where the crew had been standing a minute before. When they are out of sight, she sneaks up the side of the shop and watches them enter the gates of a manor up the hill. There are obvious party preparations and she estimates there will be a ball or banquet that would be taking place later that night.

"Him?" Luffy asks.

"Pierce him or a different him?" Sanji asks.

"Maybe," she says, finally giving them her attention. "I need your help. I have to search that building. If he's here, he'll be with that man."

"Do you have a plan?" Zoro asks.

"I think I do."

Making sure the streets are clear of nobles, she slips her signet ring on her finger and leads them into a tailor's shop. When they emerge, the sun is sinking in the sky. The men all have new silk suits and polished shoes. They've folded their new handkerchiefs and are using them as pocket squares. Franky's undone his bow tie and the first two buttons of his shirt, letting his gold necklace show. Nami wears a dark blue cocktail dress and Robin is in purple. Both have large gems hanging from their necks and ears. Karmen has had her red dress cleaned and pressed. Jewels have been sewn into the outfit and loose ruffles are added to the skirt. She wears new heels and has her hair piled on top of her head, pinned with diamond clips that match her jewelry. Her sash hangs loosely from her elbows and trails behind her elegantly. Chopper is in his reindeer form with their bags and Zoro's swords strapped to his back.

"I didn't know tailors had all that," Usopp comments.

"Not all of them do, but these guys serve high end customers and have to be prepared for any demand," Karmen says. "Godwin's uncle was the same." She turns up the street and looks at the building looming over the district. "Let's get this over with."

She leads the group up the street. Sanji is paired with Nami and Luffy is with Robin. Zoro walks between the two couples. Franky, Brook, and Usopp walk behind them with Chopper. The page at the gate stiffens at their approach. "M-Miss Gallowcomb. We weren't expecting you tonight, but you and your party are most welcome."

"Oh? Did father not come then?" she asks, seeming to not care for his answer.

"No, ma'am."

"He must have gotten tied down with his business meetings again. Are there any other Gallowcomb representatives here?"

"No ma'am."

"Then it's a good thing I brought a gift."

"Shall I announce your presence, Miss Gallowcomb?"

"I brought my own announcer, thank you."

"Very well, ma'am."

The page bows and opens the gate for them. Usopp leads Chopper away from the group, following a servant to the stables. As they step inside the manor, she motions to Sanji and he hands a flat necklace box to one of the servants. "A gift for the lady of the house," he says smoothly. The servant thanks Karmen and goes to deliver the present. Several people whisper as they are led up the grand staircase into the banquet hall where the dancing has already begun. There is a large buffet and several tables against the walls and a balcony on the far side of the room. Karmen gives a dismissive wave of her hand and the crew disperses to their own tasks and devices.

Karmen takes a glass of champagne off the first tray that passes and sips it as she observes the faces in the room, paying close attention to the servants. Several people come and greet her, careful not to ask about her prolonged absence. Those that do are given a brief excuse and eventually wander off mostly satisfied. After dancing a few songs with Nami, Sanji approaches her. "Any sign of him?"

"Not in here," she says. She hands her empty glass off to an attendant. She lets him pull her into a foxtrot and dances a stiff waltz with Brook. New servants pour in and out of the banquet hall, bringing new food and attending to the guests, but none of them are Pierce. After an hour, Usopp steps into the hall and rips the written description she'd provided him in half. Pierce is not amongst the servants in the building.

She picks up another fluke of champagne and makes her way to the window and watches for Chopper. Sanji dances with Robin, Nami, and any willing woman he finds and Luffy doesn't move from the buffet. She's thankful that she had made him promise not to scoff his food like he usually does beforehand. Zoro is a few tables away drinking and observing the security for signs of trouble. Usopp has moved to keep Brook from asking inappropriate things of the women and Franky leans against the wall drinking cola, looking slightly out of place. The doctor shows up in the yard below a while later. He changes from his reindeer form into his raccoon dog form and back again. Pierce is not on the grounds. Her heart drops, but she nods her acknowledgement and he moves to wait near the gate.

Karmen is about to give the order to clear out when she hears a female servant yelp. Drinks splash and glass breaks. A familiar voice yells angrily. Cursing under her breath, she drains her third glass and places it on the table next to Zoro. "Restrain Sanji please," she says right before the servant is struck and sent flying into a buffet table that collapses with the impact. Sanji can be heard growling as Zoro disappears from his chair. She turns to the commotion and finds him holding the cook's arms as requested.

Karmen saunters over, plucking a grape off a nearby tray that a startled servant is holding and swallows it whole. She sneers with practiced callous at the mess of a servant as the woman tries to dig herself out of appetizers. "Itluk Baldwin. If you behave like this everywhere you go, then it's no wonder father called off the wedding." The whole crew stiffens at the name. She glances coldly in Sanji's direction. "If you can't behave yourself either then get out. I only brought you because you're a decent dancer." Sanji calms himself and Zoro lets him go.

"Karmen? Your father said you disappeared. I've hear rumors you've been traveling with pirates." Baldwin and Karmen stare at each other for a moment. His thin lips have a blue hue to them and there's spittle collecting in the corners of his mouth. His wrinkled face looks like he's never smiled in his life and his receding hairline shows liver spots. Despite his age, his body still retains a large amount of muscle and he stands with an air of authority. She assesses that his dirty-money bought suit is worth more than the extravagant party itself. His soulless eyes follow her as she walks around him to get a fresh glass of champagne. She takes a sip and puts her free hand on her hip.

She laughs softly. "How naïve are you? Perhaps naïve is too kind. You're pathetic, really. Isn't it obvious, Baldwin? Father told you that to toy with you. He called off the wedding because you've displeased him. The only reason that you're still alive is because he still finds some use in you." She revels internally at the cold sweat that begins to break out across his forehead. "Father made me a business partner in your stead." She had kept careful watch on the DavenGallow Company and had noted that no alliances had been struck with Baldwin in her absence. Mr. 6 in Alabasta had updated her on what had happened and the black market broker in Water 7 had confirmed it, amongst other things.

His hands ball into fists. "I find your story hard to believe. After all, you left your favorite servants in a bloody heap."

Karmen exhales softly and forces a better-than-thou smile. She hears Luffy's knuckles crack behind her but the crew follows her example and doesn't move, despite the rise in tension. "Father decided that they had outlived their usefulness." She takes a long drink before pulling Brook to her by the elbow. "And if I had fallen out of father's favor in any way, why would he have bought me this talking skeleton? They don't come cheap, you know."

Brook tips his hat uncertainly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I'm sure."

"As for the rumor that I'm traveling with pirates, it's partially true. These waters are dangerous. There are too many accidents," she lets the word roll off her tongue in a secret threat. "I hired pirates as bodyguards." She snaps her fingers and the crew falls in line behind her. The observing crowd gives them a wide berth. "They're much more reliable and interesting than the weaklings the government likes to provide."

"Bodyguards?" He eyes the crew uncomfortably.

Deciding she can't pass up the opportunity to provoke him, Karmen puts a hand on Zoro's shoulder. "I've been sending little stories home to father with my business reports to keep him from thinking I'm ready for too many boring responsibilities. The latest one is that I'm having a fling with the first mate." She lets her hand trail down Zoro's chest as she steps away from him. "What should I tell him next?" She rubs a hand down Brook's ascot. "That I'm picking bones with the skeleton?" She twirls one of Usopp's curls around her finger. "That I stole the sniper away from a wealthy patron?" She strokes Sanji's beard gently. "That I'm cooking up a scandal with the chef?" She tugs Franky close by his open collar. "That I'm turning the gears of the famous shipwright?" She steps up to Luffy and pulls on his cheek. "Or maybe I'll find out just how far the captain can stretch."

As she speaks, Baldwin's face becomes a furious shade of maroon. "If you and your father mean to humiliate me with this display, then you can expect grave business losses."

"That temper of yours really is your worst quality, Baldwin. If you don't be careful it could get you into trouble." Her eyes narrow with a malice that hasn't been seen since Usopp's encounter with the Franky family. "Remember your place, politician. Nobles don't breathe down anyone's neck for long." She sips her champagne and frowns distastefully. "You've come to bore me and your presence here has soured my alcohol. If you've nothing else to say, I think I'll get some fresh air." She snaps her fingers and points to the balcony. The crew falls into step behind her.

As soon as the curtained doors shut behind them, Karmen begins vomiting over the corner of the railing. "You were like a completely different person," Nami says, holding Karmen's bangs. "He looked ready to kill you."

"If I ever see that guy again I'm going to kick his butt," Luffy says.

"You handled the situation marvelously," Robin says. "Your redirection was flawless."

"You mean you made him mad at you on purpose?" Franky asks.

"You saved the servant by giving his anger a new target. He can't raise a hand to you so long as he thinks he'll anger your family," Sanji says, lighting a cigarette. "The lady was able to get away relatively unscathed thanks to your quick actions."

"Status helps. I've had a lot of practice." Karmen retches again. "Thank you all for putting up with that."

Usopp blinks at the doors and stares open mouthed at Karmen. "You mean to tell me that you did stuff like that for eighteen years?"

"More like fourteen," she admits.

"Are you going to be ok?" Zoro asks.

"I'm fine," she says before dry heaving. "I was just really hoping I'd be able to avoid him. The grape was a mistake. Even whole they taste horrible."

"Your friend wasn't here, was he?" Luffy says. Sanji gives her his handkerchief so she can wipe her mouth.

She shakes her head, finally trusting her stomach to let her stand up straight. She tucks the square into her sleeve to wash later. "I thought that if father had passed Pierce off to anyone, it would be Baldwin. By that crack he made earlier, I think it's safe to say he hasn't seen Pierce since the night I left. This means he's either in the house on the other side of the Red Line or…" She bites her lip softly as she reminds herself that Kuma said he was alive.

"We'll find him," Usopp assures her.

"Definitely." She smiles at them. "What do you say we blow this joint? Figuratively, Franky." The cyborg puts his Weapons Left away.

Karmen, Nami, and Robin walk back through the banquet hall. Franky and Luffy walk in front, clearing a path. Zoro and Sanji walk on either side. Usopp and Brook bring up the rear. She sees Luffy stuffing his face as they pass the buffet. Karmen blows a kiss and waves her goodbye to the hostess as they sweep out of building. Chopper joins them as they leave the grounds, giving back everyone's supplies and weapons. He grows into his man-beast form and sets Karmen on his shoulder. "You look exhausted."

"Yeah, but I got a little payback." She grins. "We'd better leave the island before Baldwin starts fact checking with father."


	39. Chapter 39: The Gallowcomb Girl

[Author's note: I had this chapter and the few after it written before the most recent arc was published. Any similarities to that bit of story line are purely coincidental.]

* * *

Karmen sits underneath her apple trees, face emotionless and unresponsive. Sanji offers her tea, but she simply sets it on the swing and inspects her apples. They're days from being perfectly ripe and she's all but ready to stuff them into her bag and poison someone with them. Her Haki fluctuates between observation and reversing, making her hard to see at some points and nearly radiant in others like one of Nami's mirages. A few times the two spectrums were so jumbled that her onlookers' eyes were snaking over her just to find somewhere to focus on, which Sanji doesn't mind one bit.

"Would you stop that?" Zoro growls. "You're giving me a headache."

She doesn't respond or stop the fluctuations. Luffy decides to take advantage of her state and slinks up behind a tree, stretching to meet the shape at an angle where Karmen can't see. He stretches his fingers up to an amber apple and has nearly plucked it from his its branch when a sea prism feather is stuck into his shirt. He melts into a rubbery puddle while Karmen circles the other tree.

"Can't you do something about this?" Franky asks Robin.

Smiling, she crosses her arms and closes her eyes. "Ocho Fleurs." Hands sprout out of Karmen to tickle her. Her face registers emotion, but she does not laugh.

Nami takes the feather dart off Luffy and presses it into Karmen's hand as Robin stops. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Karmen leans her head against her tree. "How am I supposed to sleep after running into Baldwin? I screwed up big time. He's had to have called my family or the government by now, which means Pierce is in even more danger. I could have slipped into that building unnoticed and searched everywhere without anyone seeing me even if it would have taken all day by myself. Instead I went and made a spectacle that the nobles are going to be talking about for a month. Do you know how much the woman who owned that mansion, Foiner Marina, loves to gossip? Everyone is going to know I was there and about everything that I said. If I wasn't so worried I'd be so embarrassed that I could die." Her Haki finally dissipates enough that they can keep their eyes on her. "And the navy will know to look for me with you guys, if Aokiji hasn't already told them, so if father gets angry, you guys are in danger too."

"Then let's go beat up your dad," Luffy says. "If he tells us where Pierce is then all we have to do is go get him."

"All the intelligence I've gathered up to this point says father's on the other side of the Red Line, meaning we have to cross Fishman Island or Mariejois to get there and neither of those places particularly welcome me right now."`

"But if he's using Pierce as bait then it means your father won't kill him until you get over there, so relax, little sis," Franky says.

"I'm just worried about how fast the news is going to get there."

"Maybe she'd feel better if you played her some dance music," Usopp whispers to Brook.

The skeleton sets his violin under his chin and leans down. "If I play you a waltz, might I see your panties?" Karmen flicks her dart into his afro and kicks his skull so he topples over backwards. Usopp sighs. "I don't suppose writing your father would do anything at this point, would it?"

"No way." She glowers. "The one I carved into that bounty hunter was my last." She gets up. "I need to _do_ something. Maybe I'll test some poison on barnacles." Franky helps her set up a hanging bench on pulleys to lower her down to where a few sea creatures had tried taking up residence. She hooks her bag to the bench, digging past the two masks inside to find her antimony powder that she'd gathered from Franky's workshop. She smears some on a barnacle and watches it shift uncomfortably until it loses its grip and falls into the ocean. She slips the canister into her pocket and varies her toxins, using the one that makes things think that they have bugs crawling on them, one that caused people to break out into hives, one that deadened the nerves and others from the plants she'd gathered in Water 7.

Hours pass as the ship sails along. Sanji hums happily as he emerges from the kitchen with a tray of pastries. He sends the men inside to fetch their own while he places plates before Nami and Robin. "Karmen," he calls over the bulwark. "Your snack is ready!" There's no answer. He leans over the edge and sees her bag hanging from the bench, but no secretary. "Did Karmen come back on deck?" he asks.

"I didn't see her," Chopper says.

Zoro rubs his eye sleepily. "She probably used that Haki cloak of hers. She grabbed something from the workout room the other day and I didn't even know she was there." He sets his swords aside and walks towards the foremast. "I'll see if she's using the telescope or something."

"I'll look in her workstation," Usopp offers. "She probably went to grab snake venom."

Both men come back empty-handed. Zoro reports that she wasn't on the other mast or the sails. Robin goes to check the library and bath house. Nami goes to check the bedrooms. Chopper checks the medical ward. Usopp and Franky go to check the workstations. Brook and Luffy check the lounge, storage room, and cannon deck. When everyone except Chopper returns to the deck without having found her Nami stops the ship. "I think I saw a large fish pass by earlier. Maybe she went to ride it," Robin suggests.

"If she was fish riding she'd have the deck drenched by now," Franky says.

"Maybe she fell off and got eaten," she says straight faced.

Chopper returns from below deck in his reindeer form, sniffing. He circles the apple trees before ending up at the railing above the hanging bench. "Karmen's most recent scent is coming from below. I can smell fresh traces of her perfume down there too."

"Perfume?" Sanji slides down the ropes. "Franky. Pull me up," he says softly after a moment. As the pulleys work, Sanji rises, standing on the bench with a cigarette in his mouth and a concerned expression on his face. In his hand are Karmen's sea prism quills and the mask she bought at Water 7. Chopper's nose follows the mask that has the scent of extinct flowers freshly spritzed over it. Sanji steps onto the lawn and places the mask on the grass, stabbing the two pens through its empty eyes. "This was hanging from the ship like this."

Luffy rubs his chin and leans over it. "I don't get it. Where'd she go?"

"It obviously means something," Nami says. "If she had fallen off or gone fish riding she wouldn't have left it there." The crew sits around the display, throwing out several questions and few answers.

"Stabbed through the eye," Robin mutters. "Through the eye. The eyes… Pierce his eye! This is about Pierce somehow."

"What makes you think that?" Luffy asks.

"At the celebration on Thriller Bark, Karmen made a toast to Pierce's eyes and the other pirates thought she said pierce his eyes."

"Well that's part of her message," Sani comments. "Why the mask?"

"I've never seen it before," Brook says.

"She hasn't worn it since we left Water 7," Chopper says. "Does it have something to do with that?"

"Maybe Enies Lobby?" Sanji suggests.

"No. The sea train, or San Faldo to be exact," Franky says. "Puffing Tom stops there. They call it the Carnival City."

"So that leaves the last question," Nami says, holding her chin in focus. "Why did she leave her favorite weapons behind? If she just wanted to hang the mask she had plenty other quills to use." The crew stares at the metal quill pens.

"She's saying there's a reason she can't fight," Usopp says. "They've kidnapped her and told her that if she resists Pierce will be hurt." His hands ball into fists.

"There's something else you should know," Zoro says. "There's a time limit."

* * *

Karmen sits at a table in an expensive building, hair still damp from when she pulled the air tank off her head. Across the table from her sits Baldwin and a plump woman dressed in silks, jewels, and a fresh coat of makeup that is still being applied by a slave. Heavy gold eels hang from her ears. They eternally crush ships in their mouths. In front of the two people sit a transponder snail and a picture of a young man with long russet hair pulled into a low ponytail and gray eyes. The man in the picture looks like he's cussing someone out and his eyes scream with murderous rage. The blood on his shirt just at the edge of the image makes her think it was taken the night she left home or soon after. She'd never seen Pierce so angry. Government agents in black suits and sunglasses stand along the walls watchfully, but not interfering.

Baldwin looks disgruntled himself, glancing between the two women as the slave applies the final brush stroke and retreats. "I still don't understand why you won't tell me anything," he growls.

"Because knowledge is power, you twat, and you've only earned the right to sit in on this conversation," the woman says, cocking her favorite pearl handled silver pistol.

"How long have you been in the Grand Line, Mother," Karmen asks the woman calmly.

"Your father sent me after you sent that letter _in_ the bounty hunter." She sets the barrel of her gun close to the picture and cackles. "Beautiful piece of work, really. We taught you well."

Sneering with emotion she doesn't really feel, she leans forward and rests her chin on her hands. "Tell me he's dead. He was quite rude to me. In fact, all the people you've sent have been rather annoying and trigger happy. You'd think they thought they were attempting to retrieve a slave."

"That is their usual job," Gallowcomb Antwanette Jenevive Willow says. "If you knew it was me who sent them, why didn't you come back with them?"

"They bored me and often refused my offers of tea."

"Oh. And after we went through all the trouble to special order that last one," she cackles. The snail rings and Willow answers. "Hello, Darling. Are the wedding preparations going smoothly?"

Karmen feels the hairs on her arms and neck rise as the snail's eyes narrow and raise with cold disdain and its mouth sneers. "I'm looking forward to seeing the child."

"You won't believe this. She spends a few months running around with pirates and she shows up with a tattoo. It's not even a good tattoo. It's just a bug ugly 'X' on her left arm. It's atrocious. We'll have to put her in gloves."

"Yes, just cover it for now. Have your brother burn it off later," he says. "How are you, Karmen?"

"I'm well, Father," she hears herself saying. "I understand you had trouble locating me."

"There's someone here who's been _dying_ to speak with you, sugar pie."

She hears the other snail shifting. Theirs droops its eyes weakly and begins to pant. "Karmen?" All emotion leaves her face as she hears someone get hit. "Lady Gallowcomb," the voice corrects itself. "Forgive me if my inadequacy has caused you ill fortune."

"Lady Gallowcomb" returns to Karmen's cold eyes for the first time in two years. "Father, have you kept that waste of space servant alive all this time? You've gotten soft. I'll dispose of him properly when we are reunited. Do save me the pleasure."

"I think he'll be a perfect showpiece for the vineyard," her father says.

Seeing as Baldwin still hasn't been filled in, she decides to speak merchant code with her father. "I thought you were at the other house. I was on my way across the Red Line to drop off the profits of my business trip."

"We were, but I thought you'd feel more at home if we held the ceremony on Valcour. We have so many pleasant memories there, after all. Has your trip been profitable, pet? You'll have to tell me all about it after I've walked you down the aisle."

"Yes, Father. However I can be of _use_."

"It's really a shame. You're nearly too precious to let go. I'm afraid the invitation to your warlord friend has been lost in the mail. We'll send him an announcement afterwards."

"Mail birds can be so careless sometimes. Most of your messages never made it to me while I've been gone. Did you at least repay him for thwarting that assassination attempt two years ago? I've had to keep a low profile due to their _continued persistence._ "

"We've sent him several cases of wine. Unfortunately the government has kept him busy so we haven't been able to _thank_ him in person."

"That is most unfortunate." She leans back in her chair. "I received your _report_ that you've been in communication with Doflamingo again. How is my dear cousin? I haven't seen him since I dropped my business log off with him in Jaya."

"He's been very helpful these past few years," her father says. "You'll see soon enough. Is there anything else you'd like to say to this waste of space before your mother prepares you for your public debut?"

"I'll be there to kill him soon enough."

"Very well, Lady Gallowcomb," the weak voice responds.

Willow hangs up the receiver. "Isn't this fun." She lowers the hammer on her pistol. "On my way over I went shopping, darling. I've got the perfect outfit for you tonight."

Karmen is lead upstairs to a steaming tub. Three female government agents follow them. Servants strip her and throw her clothes in a pile to be burned. Willow spins her daughter around and stares at the still healing bullet wound in her stomach. "A cheap tattoo _and_ scars? You disappear for two years and come back like this?! Do you know how much a scar devalues you?" She raises her hand to slap her and an agent grabs her wrist.

"Miss Gallowcomb, you cannot harm the girl. Remember the warlord's terms."

"What terms?" Karmen's eyes narrow. "Does this have something to do with Kuma?"

"Nineteen years I've never laid a hand on you," Willow says, pulling her wrist free. "Terms and services only go as far as the fine print. There are other ways." She holds the picture of the beloved servant over an open candle and lets it burn. "I have to go change your entire wardrobe now."

As her mother sweeps from the room and the servants pull Karmen into the tub Karmen watches the remaining corner of the picture smolder on the floor. Pierce's defiant gray eye disappears into the flame. She sets her jaw and makes her decision. "In my back pocket you'll find a canister of luster dust. Please mix it with whatever makeup you've prepared for me. I'd also like a word with the chef and the head of the decoration team. If I'm going to get married this week I have a lot of work to do."


	40. Chapter 40: Not Alone in San Faldo

The Straw Hats make landfall at San Faldo around noon on the second day after Karmen went missing. The team split up to search the city more effectively. They wore gray cloaks and Robin secured masks for everyone. Usopp used his Sogeking mask. Sanji, Nami, and Zoro anchor Sunny around the island from the main harbor so the local law enforcement isn't alerted. When the ship is set, Sanji and Nami prepare to go down to release mini-Merry. Zoro strips off his shirt, jumps overboard, and begins swimming to shore.

Sanji sighs as he lights a cigarette. "Impatient bastard." He notices something in the pile Zoro had left and picks it up. Nami grabs his sleeve and drags him into the boat, nearly causing him to drop his cigarette. He slips the object into his pocket as they race towards the docks to aid the search.

Zoro runs down every street, stopping to look at every dark curly head and every flash of red. He tries his hardest to ignore the pain running throughout his entire body, but it's hard. He curses, despite himself. He had promised he'd get there. Being near death from some floating paw print wasn't going to stop him. What was the name she had used? Gavendav? Dowenwell? There had been a Willow in there somewhere. Why did nobles have to have multiple fancy names? Nami's was easy to remember. She only had one. And what was with this city anyways? Everyone's wearing a costume and a mask and there's all these floats and fancy decorations. If he wasn't so worried he'd stop for a drink in a place like this. He makes up his mind to talk to the first normal looking people he finds.

He turns the corner and sees a group of men in black suits and fedoras standing in a circle, talking amongst themselves. He slides to a stop and approaches them. "Excuse me," he says, catching his breath. "Could you fella's help me find someone? She's a girl about this high," he holds slightly below shoulder level. "She's got brown eyes, dark hair, goes by the name Valentine W. Karmen?" The men shake their heads. "What about Gallo… David... You know. The DavenGallow wine people."

"Gallowcomb and Davenwell?" One of the larger men asks, turning to face the swordsman.

"That's what it was." How had he gotten them so confused?

"The Gallowcomb girl's name is Karmen," one of the other men says, flanking his friend's right side.

"Said she's been on the run from assassins for two years," said another, flanking the larger man's left side.

"Maybe he's one of Baldwin's guys," another man says. By now the rest of the men had started moving and Zoro knew when he was being surrounded for an attack. His forehead vein was beginning to pop out over his closed eyes. He casually rests his hand on his swords.

"This guy doesn't look like one for wedding bells, if you ask me."

"There isn't going to be any wedding," Zoro snarls. "I'm getting her out of there."

"You aren't getting anywhere near Mr. Itluk's manor." The big man grins down at him. "If I'm not mistaken, you're Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter. You did a number on our guys down at Enies Lobby. What do you say we get or buddies a little revenge?" The men around him chuckle and draw their guns, swords, and whatever weapons they carry.

"I promised my friend that I wouldn't get too delayed. I don't have time to stand around playing with you." He draws his swords and takes a deep breath. This was going to hurt. He performs a Dragon Twister, sending the men flying in all directions. The motion leaves him staggering and takes the air out of him. He leans against the wall and takes gasping, ragged breaths until the pain subsides. "How can I be this weak when she's counting on me?" he berates himself, pounding his fist against the brick before sheathing his swords. Despite his state, the wall still cracks under his frustrated assault.

All he can think about is the day he rescued her from her mother's bounty hunter, seeing the terror-stricken look in her eye as she lay sewn to herself and how she had shaken like a soaked puppy in his arms as he carried her back. How that emotionless look on her face reminded him of trauma victims of people he'd seen while bounty hunting. It was the look of a person who had witnessed countless horrors in their lives and lived too afraid to tell anyone about it, or too dead inside because how could anyone ever fix it? He had told this to Luffy that night, and Luffy had nodded along, saying he'd noticed that something was off about how she'd been behaving and had decided to wait until she felt comfortable talking about it. He hadn't been sure she was, but when he found her in the workout room beating weights against the wall and sobbing, he realized she _needed_ to talk about it. She would explode otherwise. She had whispered in her sleep as he carried her to her bed and clung to the bandana on his arm briefly before settling in for the night. How when she finally had told them the truth, her past trauma made her think they would abandon her at the drop of a hat because she was being hunted and how that made him want to tear down anything that stood in her way.

She had gotten so jumpy lately, barely able to stand still for thirty seconds. It made him want to cut something. Anything, so long as she would give a smile that wasn't covering years of pain. He thought about this Pierce person. From what he had been told he had been one of the only people she could ever truly rely on and he knew it terrified her to no end to even think about the possibility of losing him for good. Karmen is not the vulnerable type by far. She has a Luffy like quality about her that makes her want to face danger head on and wits to match Nami's. But underneath all this is that fractured part of her that steals her fighting spirit in the presence of these people. He thinks of her, as fragile as a glass flower when it comes to her family, but with a resilient strength that he can only hope to match someday. He won't let them shatter that part of her. Not when he had spent so many weeks watching her put herself back together. Itluk manor, they had said. Now all he has to do is find someone to ask for directions.

* * *

Luffy decides he can't find anything by running around the streets, so he uses a flagpole to launch himself onto the peak of a parade float shaped like a sea king. He grins and laughs. "This place is great! What kind of food do nobles eat, anyway?" He sniffs the air and looks between a large building on a cliff and the market place. "This one first!" He jumps towards the closer market, sitting on top of a gazebo and pinching food when the store owners aren't looking.

Usopp and Chopper sigh together as they decide it's a lost cause to continue looking for the captain. The reindeer crinkles his nose at all the glue in the parade floats and masks and exotic spices. Everyone has their faces covered and there's even people on stilts. She could walk right past them and they wouldn't even know. "Where could she be? This place is huge."

"I'm not sure," Usopp admits. "We should move carefully, though. Everything Karmen said about her family and their men makes me think we'd better avoid them."

Luffy comes running down the street, meat in hand and a grin on his face. "Hey! There you are!" Bullets bounce into him and get flung back in the direction they'd come. The crowd parts as he runs through, bringing with him fifteen government agents. "I found a guy who said he knew where Karmen was but he got knocked out."

"I guess he had friends," Chopper says.

"Let's run away," Usopp responds. They begin running as Luffy intercepts them. "Why didn't you lose them first?"

He chuckles. "If I kick their butts they won't be able to tell us where Karmen is."

Usopp grits his teeth. "I feel like I'm going to regret saying this, but we should get them to tell us. Help me, Sogeking!" He pulls down his festival mask and they all slide to a halt. He remembers speaking to Karmen when she had woken up after Enies Lobby. Sogeking had always been a part of him. He'd help rescue her and show her the man she knew he was. That will get him a step closer to being a brave warrior of the sea and help him return triumphantly to Kaya. He remembers how hard she worked back on Gekko Island. She would collapse into bed every night, sometimes too exhausted to even change clothes before passing out. She had screamed so frightfully in her sleep that first month. He feels that if he doesn't get to her soon, fresh nightmares will keep her awake at night.

"We don't have time to run," Chopper agrees. Zoro had said that they would try to force her into a wedding and she would bite through her tongue and drown on her own blood. He remembers when they first met and she had insisted on being his friend even though he had still been wary of humans and how much she valued his opinion when she made her poisons. How in Alabasta she had suffered through the pain of sunblade and deadbolt because she didn't want anyone to find the ring she had clutched so tightly in her paralyzed fist. There was immense trauma there. He wouldn't stand by anyone creating any more. They relied on each other and she was relying on them now. If they want to find her alive they have to be on the offensive. It was his job as a doctor to reduce suffering, and if he had to beat up a few thugs to do that, so be it.

When it came right down to the meat of it, no one left the crew without the captain's permission, under duress or otherwise. That alone was reason enough to go after Karmen. Luffy holds his hat to his head as he slides to a halt and cracks his knuckles. He is getting tired of people trying to take his crew. "Let's find our friend."

Robin, Brook, and Franky make slow progression up the streets, watching and listening for any information that will lead them to the missing secretary. He'd begun to consider Karmen as part of his extended family, which meant Pierce was pseudo extended family. He took a threat to either of them personally, so no little sister of his was getting married without his approval. When it came to Baldwin, he super didn't approve. "I can't wait to punch lover boy's lights out," Franky says, rubbing his hands together at the thought of getting rid of Karmen's supposed fiancé.

"Yohohoho! That is if I don't run him through first," Brook comments. "Either way I'll be sure to compose a triumphant ballad afterwards." He's only known Karmen for a few days but her whole home life situation infuriates him. He won't let anyone stand between her and her promise. All that aside, she had a way of simply appearing in the area when he began playing his violin. He couldn't let someone who appreciated good music as much as she did vanish like the dead.

Robin's face remains serious. "I'm sure she'd appreciate your enthusiasm, but we should probably not talk about this in public." They walk by a pub and Robin gets an idea. "Wait here." She walks in and lifts her mask to her forehead, sliding into the bar next to a drunk man and orders a drink. He grins at her red-faced and looks her over, seeming to like what he sees, especially when she slides her order over to him. "Is there anything interesting happening around town?" she asks in a sultry voice.

"Some rich lady is getting hitched tomorrow," he says with a shrug before downing the drink in a single shot. "The whole Itluk Manor is in a hubbub getting ready for it. All these fancy people showed up yesterday and they've been having a big party."

Robin smiles and orders the man another drink. "That sounds like fun. I bet a place like that has to have a lot of security."

"Do they ever," the man says, grinning as the bartender finishes the pour. "The guy's some big wig politician, so he's got a lot of security on a normal day, but they brought in all these government guys for the wedding. Something about making sure it's official and all that." His words start to slur. "And the bride's family. They brought their own security team. A lot of snipers and bounty hunters I was told."

She puts a hand on top of the glass before he can down this one. Karmen had come for her when she could have ran and they do think so alike. Robin wasn't going to let her run off on her own now without an explanation no matter who was behind it. Girls like them had to help each other evade capture, after all. "Where would I go if I wanted to join in on the fun?"

Nami and Sanji walk casually down the street. It didn't take them long to find a good vantage point and spot the biggest building for miles that had banquet decorations on the lawn. Being a cat burglar, Nami can't help but think of all the marks that have gathered there and all the money and jewelry she could steal. Despite this her mind keeps wandering back to Karmen. Last night had been sleepless without her original roommate. She wondered what Karmen did on all the nights she had lay awake and kept looking at her unused bed. "Do you think she's ok?" she asks, seemingly worried. Her balled fist shakes slightly. "She's been there for two days now."

"Karmen's a smart woman," Sanji says, pulling his hands from his pockets and pushing his mask up slightly to smoke. Karmen had proven a bit of a challenge to get to know, but once she had begun to open up he had understood why. Especially being from the North Blue, some things were best approached with caution. "She knew what she was doing when she left us that message, so she has to have some sort of a plan." He gets his pervy face as he imagines his arrival to the manor. "I wonder if her plan is to be swept off her feet by me and carried to safety. I'll protect you, Karmen!" He skips slightly, imagining carrying her off into the sunset.

"Yeah right." Nami closes her eyes in annoyance but decides not to hit him. "She's probably poisoned everyone in the building and will meet us before we get halfway there." Neither of them believe she's going to come waltzing down the street. Karmen had related her family to Arlong, and anyone with that kind of hold over a person doesn't let them go willingly. "She's all alone up there with terrible people. I can't imagine what she's going through." She grits her teeth and places a hand on her folded clima tact. It's obvious now that Nami is more angry than worried or scared. "I'll electrocute everyone who lays a single hand on her!"

"I agree except for the fact that she's not alone," Sanji says, putting his hands in his pockets. "We're right here."

By mid-afternoon, the entire crew is headed towards Itluk Manor, except Zoro who's taken a wrong turn and is heading towards the opposite side of town.


	41. Chapter 41: In Another Castle

Zoro comes to a panting halt in front of Itluk Manor's gate. He'd had to sprint as fast as he could to continue to take all the wrong turns that he did and still manage to get there first. His belt loop getting stuck on a cart headed full speed to the manor didn't hurt his progress either. His quick approach put extra strain on his already strained body. Despite his determination to grit his teeth and bear through it, he had to admit it's taking its toll. The sky has a foreboding orange glow as the sun begins to set and he is suddenly face to face with a man in a government uniform. He has feathery sparrow brown hair and a suit nearly as ornate as Sanji's. It ticks him off a little bit. "I am Defense Squad Captain Quintin. I cannot permit you to enter this building. I don't even have to ask you your name to know that you are one of the one's Lady Gallowcomb said to deny entry." He has a nasally voice and he seems to talk down to Zoro out of habit while looking at him with half closed eyes that rarely blink. The droopy set of his shoulders make it seem like this is a situation he couldn't be bothered to put any effort into. He sniffs and scratches his chin before unsheathing his scimitar. "I must ask you to leave here and never return if you value your life. The girl doesn't belong to you."

"Karmen doesn't belong to anyone but herself. How many times do I have to tell you people that I don't have time for this?" he growls. He hurts everywhere and it's making him irritable. He draws all three swords and plants his feet. "Move aside, or I'll make you."

Quintin sighs. "You can try. It would be best for you if you didn't though."

Zoro rushes in, swinging all swords simultaneously. Even with the ferocity of his attack, Quintin parries the blades with one hand poised behind his back, losing little ground, and never losing the bored expression on his face. Quite frankly it was insulting, but Zoro is more upset with his body for not doing what he told it to do. He knows that if he was recovered he'd be able to wipe the floor with this guy in less than two minutes, but his strength is failing him and soon he'll be in trouble. As their swords continue to cross, Quintin switches to the offensive and Zoro finds himself being pushed towards the cliff. The government agent lands a particularly heavy blow that brings Zoro down to one knee.

What happened next was a little uncertain. Quintin raised his saber for another attack and a wave of heat rolled over the cliffside. With the sound of an immense impact the portion of rock Zoro was kneeling on crumbled. He reached for the stable cliff and pushed off of the rock he was falling with, grabbing the still fragmenting edge just in time to keep from plummeting hundreds of feet to the ocean below. Whatever it was had knocked Quintin out cold. He is lying with his face and arm dangling dangerously over the remaining cliffside. There is a thump from above and the rock he's holding slides out of its uncertain hold and he falls, but he can swear he hears someone say, "She'll never forgive you if you die." Zoro looks at the miles of cliff rushing past him and at the ocean below and crosses his arms. He'll leave it up to fate if he is to survive and make it back up the cliff to rescue Karmen.

* * *

Luffy, Franky, Robin, Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami all arrive in front of the cliffside manor within seconds of each other. "Where's Sanji?" Usopp asks.

Nami shrugs. "He said he sensed a woman in trouble and went running off. I'm sure he'll show up when he's needed."

There is a man wearing a purple suit and a big poof coming off his forehead that at one point, before it was caramelized in product, may have resembled hair. He casually stands in their way fitting brass knuckles on his hands. This is barely visible behind the congregation of government agents and hired guards that have filled the cliffside after Zoro had appeared. "Maybe we should act like we're delivering something and try to sneak past these guys," Nami suggests right before the captain's disguise goes flying.

"Hey! Dumpling Head!" Luffy calls, since he seemed to be in charge. "Have you seen Karmen?" Nami, Chopper, and Usopp give a collective sigh. Not seeing a point to them anymore, everyone else except Usopp, who still felt Sogeking was needed, takes off their cloaks and carnival masks as well.

The man sneers at the captain and speaks in a southern isle accent. "My _name_ is Jared and I happen to be the head of the Itluk manor guard. I've seen _a_ Karmen, but you aren't getting anywhere near her. Sir Baldwin would be mighty upset with me if went and let you do that."

Luffy's smile turns into a wry grimace. "So you know where that jerk is." He cracks his knuckles. "I promised Karmen I'd punch him in the face."

"You," comes a sneer from the back of the crowd. The jerk in question walks forward from the manor with a plump woman in a billowing silk dress. Walking beside her is a man in a silk suit with a large rococo bouffant hairstyle and a hose-fitted glass tank on his back. "Where are those good looking men my fiancé was fawning over? I'll make sure they die painfully." He looks Nami and Robin over. "And her friends can come with me."

"Save it for after the ceremony," the woman beside him mutters.

"Baldwin," Usopp sneers back at him, even though Baldwin's attention is back on Luffy.

"Not just him," Robin says, mouth hanging open. "That's her mom, Gallowcomb Antwanette Jenevive Willow, and her brother, Davenwell Yvan Ludovic. Both are said to be malicious."

"You aren't getting paid to stand around!" Willow bellows. "Kill them already!" The horde of guards rushes forward to intercept them. Luffy jumps into the fray, having the time of his life as he gum-gum whip's the first wave.

Usopp catches a glint of metal on the roof of the manor. He quickly fits a firebird star in his giant kabuto and releases it. A burning man falls off the roof and Usopp's knees knock together triumphantly, "There's was a sniper!"

"Be careful," Robin says, tripping six men with hands that sprout out of the ground, "there might be more."

Usopp hits a guard over the head with his hammer and glances around expeditiously, looking for any sign of hidden threats. He sends a lead star flying through a dark cracked window on the fourth floor and takes out another sniper and then another that was perched in a tree. "What kind of people are these?" he cries.

"You heard her story," Franky says, blowing a group of fifteen away with his weapons left. "They're probably part of that team of bounty hunters her mom hires."

"You despicable swine," Brook says, fighting off three swordsmen at once. "We'll take you all down and free Karmen once again."

"Clutch!" Robin bent thirty guards in half and released them to fall to the ground. "I haven't seen anyone who looks like a bounty hunter. I think the snipers are the only DavenGallow units here."

Nami uses the others as cover while she creates a storm cloud and zaps thirty guards at once. She runs over to Usopp and Chopper as the deer crunches into a rumble ball and throws ten people with his horn point before using his cloven rose on three others. "When we get inside, you two look for Pierce. If he's here then we need to make sure he's safe before we can rescue Karmen."

Brook comes and stands back to back with Usopp while he fights. "I'll go with you," he says. "I cannot sit idly while a promise of reunion goes unfulfilled."

A bullet passes harmlessly through Brook's rib cage and bites into the dirt by their feet and the Willow's silver pearl handled pistol smoked thirty feet away. "Do you Barbarians know how hard we worked for this?" she says with a crazed gleam in her eye. "I will not stand for you to waltz in here and screw it up. Karmen and Baldwin are going to get married tomorrow morning and none of you will live to see the sun again."

Nami throws up several mirages. "Go. I'll handle her."

Brook clears a path and the three men run towards the gates. At the same moment liquid sprayed between them and the manor, dissolving the ground and sending up corrosive fumes. Ludovic waves the hose leading to the tank on his back. "Not so fast, kiddies. You haven't been invited."

Franky grins. "Consider us party crashers." He turns towards the trio who had stopped in their tracks just behind the line of acid. "Go. We'll handle these clowns."

Robin faces off against Jared who beats his brass knuckles against each other. "I should have you know, despite my mother's teachings, I have no problem hitting a girl."

Robin smiles at him. "Good. Neither do I." She crosses her hands in front of her. "Shall we then?" He throws a quick punch, which she dodges, but sneaks in an uppercut which connects with her jaw. She stumbles back a little before producing hands from the ground to hold him in place as she kicks him in the gut. He grabs her foot and twists sharply, causing her to fall to the ground. She uses her free foot to kick at his knees and produces hands to force him to release his grip. She stands up and dodges another punch. "Ocho Fleurs!" She restrains his arms and is working on putting him into a suppression hold but he uses brute strength to pull his arms free. Robin feels the strain in her shoulders and gasps. She'll have to go about this in a different way.

Luffy finishes toying with the guards and manages to punch his way to Baldwin. He places a hand on his hat, dangerously calm while the battle rages around them. "You made Karmen cry."

"Did I now?" he sniggeres. "I think a woman's most beautiful when she cries, don't you?"

"No. I don't." Luffy raised his head just enough so that Baldwin could see one steely eye beneath the straw brim. "You'll never make her cry again, cause I'm going to kick your butt." Baldwin jumped forward, punching the ground where Luffy had been standing a few seconds before. Luffy lands a few feet away, the ground he was standing on before is shattered. No matter how much rock this man could break with his fists, he was weak. He would never be anything else. "Gum-Gum… Pistol!"

Robin ducked three punches from Jared, one grazing her cheek and one knocking out the guard behind her, causing him to lose a few teeth. She uses her powers to fold four guards and throw them at her opponent, thoroughly distracting him and partially burying him in his own men. With an "Deis Fleurs, Clutch" she bends him over backwards and hears several satisfying cracks.

Willow shoots through six mirages, effectively emptying her gun. Nami slides out of the way of a series of pistol whips that tear through her last mirages. She'd let her mirages distract the woman and began setting up a Thunderbolt tempo and now she's almost ready. "Robin! Get down to Sunny and move her beneath the cliff. We might get chased on our way out. I'll finish up here and get Mini-Merry back." She nods her confirmation and takes out twenty more guards on her way back into town. Nami turns her attention back to Willow.

Franky is having a little more trouble with Ludovic. The main problem being that he couldn't get anywhere near him without getting burned by acid, but he'd used a third of his supply in just warding Franky off. His star shields were badly burned from near misses that he'd been forced to block to keep his face freaky. "Yow, buddy, that's a nasty cocktail you've got there," he comments.

Ludovic stands in the center of a crater he'd eroded. "My comrades keep me in ample supply, you large ape." He leaps from his pit as Franky breathes fire at him, following it up with a barrage from his Coup de Vent. Ludovic barely dodges it but several guards were blown unconscious by the blast. Franky's ducktail is beginning to droop as his first bottle of cola empties. The blast of air tears the hose on the acid tank, sending a fountain of corrosive chemicals that showers everyone behind him, including Luffy, who had been wrapped around Baldwin and using him as a robot. This was a very effective mind weapon against the politician, since he enjoyed controlling a situation with brute strength and power when words were not required. Taking advantage of the captain's sudden distraction, Baldwin lands a few ineffective punches while Luffy rolls around yelling "ow" as his clothes begin to erode and adding further destruction to the cliffside.

The lightning from Nami's attack is drawn to the metal of Willow's pistols. The shock and the heat combined make her drop them. Nami quickly sent them over the cliff's edge with her clima tact and when Willow ran for them the cliff crumbled, sending them into the water far below. Getting over her shock at losing her favorite items, Willow growls in frustration as she sees Luffy's fist collide heavily with Baldwin's face. They are losing the battle. Her brother can hold his own, even without his acid, but without her pistols and having her bounty hunters otherwise occupied she might as well be out of the fight. She runs to Ludovic, carefully avoiding the stream of acid, and grabs him by his lapels. "Get us out of here!"

He tries pushing her away. "I'm in the middle of a fight, sister darling. Kindly move aside."

Franky gladly steps aside as the phrase "Gum-Gum…. Bazooka!" rings out over the commotion. Baldwin comes flying into Willow and Ludovic, sending them over the cliff and blasting them far over the horizon. The remaining guards run away in terror as Luffy grins. "What are we waiting for? Let's go get her!"

Falling into formation, Nami and Franky flank Luffy as he punches through the outer wall and the doors of the manor. Usopp, Chopper, and Brook run up to meet them. "Pierce isn't here and everyone we've run into said that Karmen has things under control," Usopp says. "The last person we talked to said that she was in the ballroom."

Luffy continues breaking down walls until they find the ballroom. Half of the masked guests are passed out on the floor and the other half are breathing heavily against the wall. None of them are a 5' 2" stabby secretary. The captain blinks and looks around. "Where's Karmen?"


	42. Chapter 42: Karmen's Second Night

Karmen smiles haughtily as Baldwin leads her into the banquet hall. Tonight's event is a masquerade. She wears a tight blue dress that her father sent over, complete with white elbow length gloves to cover her tattoo and a diamond bracelet. It has half a single sleeve to cover her right shoulder and a high slit up the skirt that ends halfway up her left hip. The back dips farther than she's comfortable with, but the front covers the healing bullet wound on her stomach, much to her mother's irritation. Her three inch heels have ribbons that wrap up her calves to hide the scars on her ankles. The mask covering her face is a lacey butterfly that leaves her forehead and mouth exposed. She would have chosen something with feathers, but she hadn't been able to pick anything that she wore since she'd entered this Itluk Manor. Her hair was trimmed the night before. Tonight it is woven into a hive on her head and twisted into patterns of roses, butterflies, and pinned with sapphires. Woven into the side is a single sunflower.

She had greeted everyone yesterday, but several guests came back up to her to greet her again, especially her father's elderly male business partners. She smiles and kisses cheeks and tries not to grin at the full length masks hiding puffy red faces from the greetings the night before. She doesn't see much difference in some of their appearances despite this fact. They're all faceless pigs. As they make their rounds, she encourages the government agents lining the walls to enjoy the celebration, making sure the servants offer them food for their diligence. They walk by the blue fountain and Baldwin guides her onto the dance floor to join what is supposed to be a waltz. Her toes are trod upon several times and his sweaty hand remains planted on her lower back. When the song ends, she picks his golden pocket watch out of his pocket and goes to sit at a table. She twirls it over the place setting, watching the seconds tick. She doesn't care where Baldwin wanders off to. Her mother stands on an indoor balcony, overseeing the progression of the party.

Karmen twirls the watch in front of her face for ten more ticks before deciding she's bored to tears. There's no infighting, no skeletons getting kicked in the face for asking inappropriate questions. No steady beat of hammers or wrenches or the turning of pages. No food being stolen or people angrily changing forms. There wasn't even anyone she knew from fish riding competitions. Sighing, she drops the watch on the table and props her chin up on her hand. A man wearing a cape and a swallow-tailed hummingbird mask approaches. She glares. He bows deeply and extends his gloved right hand to her. The elegant blue, green, purple, and black feathers that cover his head plume like a mane and fall to his mid-back, bobbing with the motion that makes her slightly envious. She is about to wave him off when she sees a pale moss green shell hanging from a silver chain at his wrist. She lifts her head suspiciously to it, but takes the man's hand.

He places his hands carefully to make sure he doesn't touch her skin. She feels comfortable in his arms already. When he pulls her close she whispers to where his ear should be, "There's antimony powder in my makeup. It would be best if you avoided my face." He gives her hand a slight squeeze in acknowledgement. "And you remembered the thing about the punch bowl?" Squeeze. "Good. I used a strong one. We have to make this look like I'm unwilling." He leads her onto the dance floor. "Be a dear and lead me to the balcony? We can talk there."

She gives the musicians a bob of her head and they strike up a new song. They start off with a waltz. With the exchanges of partners they don't get a chance to make much progress into the room. She appreciates that he's taking regular sized steps and doesn't step on her toes. When the song ends she motions for the musicians to pick up the pace. She returns to her feathered partner for a foxtrot. In the end, he pushes with his hand and prompts her to spin around his knee. She comes off his leg into a dip. They are in the middle of the room now. "You've found a level-headed teacher. Do you have two more in you?" He extends his hand to her once more, which may have actually been him offering to help her stand up straight. She motions again.

He pulls her up into a paso doble. For a moment, Karmen is thankful to her mother and father for forcing her to wear a dress that had a slit all the way up the leg. They had meant to use it as a selling point for Baldwin, who was upset that the first wedding had been "called off." She was going to sell it all right. She sashays her skirts, flashing as much of her scarred thigh as she could to annoy her mother, and allows her partner to throw her into some low leveled flips. He pulls out some footwork and fancy kicks. By now several of the other couples have stopped dancing and have brought their attention to the pair as they make their way across the third quarter of the floor. She briefly wonders if they are watching the dance or if the poison is taking effect. She had worked with the slaves and chef to put it in the food and drink. It's either the dim lights or the toxins effects, but what she can see of their faces are starting to look pale. She motions again with a stylistic twist of her wrist. "Last one. Can you keep up?"

They step off into an Argentine tango. There are so many kicks, lifts, twists, and spins that she is left breathless. In the middle of the dance he dips her, bringing the bird mask so close to her face that she can feel something thin and metal pressing into her lips amongst the feathers. When he pulls away, she has her poisoned pen clutched lightly in her teeth. "Oh you naughty boy," she whispers to him around the alloy. "Where were you hiding that?" He pulls her up and turns her again. She can barely feel her feet touching the ground at all. He finishes the dance by extending her foot over his shoulder and letting her hair graze the floor.

She doesn't see her mother on the balcony anymore. Perhaps she caught sight of the quill and is mobilizing the guards. People start falling to the ground. Karmen pulls her quill from her mouth and smiles up at the bird mask. "I think that's our cue." He stands her up and pushes the balcony doors open. The guards who aren't incapacitated start making their way towards them. He pulls her forward until they're against the railing. "I don't think Pierce is here, but I heard his voice over the transponder snail. I think he's being transported on a ship." She grips the beak of the mask and begins to lift it off. "Well, you can get rid of that cowl of a mask now, Z- Sanji?!"

"My, my, Karmen. You're one hell of a dancer. You weren't expecting someone else, were you? Remember, act unwilling." The mask slips out of her hand and falls back over his face as he throws an arm around her shoulders and holds a kitchen knife under her chin as the guards surround them. "Take one step closer and she dies," he says. "We'll make our demands known soon."

"What do you think you're doing?" Karmen growls at him. "I don't have time for this. I have a wedding to attend. If you put a mark on me before the ceremony father will ensure your death is slow and painful. Release me at once, rapscallion."

"Either you come quietly or you die, Gallowcomb." He curls Gallowcomb off his tongue like the a private joke. She has to fight to keep scowling.

"I thought father took care of you blackguards." She stomps her pointed heel on the end of his shoe. He flinches and his grip loosens a bit and she elbows him in the gut. The knife against her carotid artery stops any further resistance. She glares at the guards. "You all are useless! No wonder I had to hire pirate scum! They're willing to destroy whole towns to get a little gold and they know how to do a job properly. I hope father makes examples out of all of you!"

She headbutts the mask, beak absorbing most of the impact, and Sanji stumbles a little. His foot slips but his grip tightens and they both topple over the balcony. Karmen can't help but to scream and cling to his jacket as they plunge over a 500 meter cliff with the ocean fast approaching. Not only was it a deadly height, it was cold and the folds of his jacket negated most of the wind. Sanji slips his knife into his belt and holds her securely, not minding her clinging one bit.

75 feet from the water, hands spring from nowhere and create a net to catch them and reduce their speed at a safe rate. They are drawn up into the _Thousand Sunny_ which is resting in a nook that's been carved out by the waves and invisible from the building above. Sanji sets her down triumphantly. "Yo," Zoro calls from his seat on the railing. He exhales sharply through his nose at the sight of the chef but give her his attention. "How'd it go?"

"You." Her eyes are accusing and angry. "Why weren't you up there?"

"Me? I was taking out your family's guards. What else?"

"But it was supposed to be you up there! He had the dial so I just assumed…" Her face turns red as she slides to her knees and covers her cheeks. "And after I said those embarrassing things."

"You expect _him_ to be able to dance like that?" Sanji tosses his mask and lights a cigarette.

"He would if you would teach him the right parts!"

Sanji gives Zoro a smug look when Karmen turns away. The swordsman returns a hard glower but both straighten up when Karmen looks back. Robin chuckles.

"You've seen my necklace?" Zoro asks. "I took it off earlier when I swam to shore and misplaced it."

"I get kidnapped and forced into a pre-wedding banquet and you go for a _swim_?" The swordsman only shrugs.

Sanji leans down a bit. "You never gave me back my handkerchief so I thought it would be an acceptable way to identify myself." He was right of course. When she had borrowed it after running into Baldwin the first time she had kept it to wash it. It was still hanging on the line below deck. Sanji straightens and slips the liquid dial off his wrist and tosses it to Zoro. "You should keep better track of gifts from beautiful women."

Zoro makes sure the necklace is securely in place before he pushes off the rail to stand by them. "You were up there a long time. What were you doing?"

"Testing a theory," he says, taking a long drag before grinning. "And making sure the lady had a decent dancing partner."

"Dancing?" Zoro yells. "Why you little-"

"What are you so upset about? You had a nice time, right, Karmen?"

"Well yeah, but…" She pulls her mask further over her face. "A Paso Doble _and_ an Argentine tango," she mutters to herself. She poises her pen near Sanji's ankle, suddenly angry. "Did you look up my skirt on that last dip?"

Sanji stumbles back a few steps. "Who do you take me for, Brook?" The chef turns around to deal with a sudden nosebleed.

"Did you call me? Yohohoho!" comes the voice of the musical skeleton. "My you look ravishing. Tell me, are you wearing panties?" Luffy swings around the cove's entrance with Brook and Usopp clinging to his back. Usopp hits Brook over the head with his hammer for the comment. Luffy's clothes are full of holes but he's grinning proudly.

Franky comes out of the cabin followed by Nami. Karmen assumes they've just docked the hobby horse or mini-Merry. "The ship's ready to go," he says. "Yow, little sis. You clean up nicely."

"None of you ate or drank anything, right?" Karmen asks, finally pulling off her mask.

"We all knew better than to trust a buffet you were trapped in." Sanji grins. "Who do you take me for, these idiots?" He nods his head towards the Captain and first mate.

"You mean you didn't bring me any food?" Luffy asks. "I worked up an appetite fighting and Franky drug me away from the food in the ballroom."

"I'll cook something once we're out of here," Sanji says.

"Don't worry. I shared your warning. You poisoned the punch bowl, right?" Zoro kicks her mask into the ocean.

She lets herself smile then. "And a few other items on the table. It's a shame Mom and Baldwin didn't eat more than they did. I would have loved to see them hit the floor." She frowns at her mother's forethought. "Maybe I included too much of the truth in those letters I sent home."

"What kind did you use this time?"

"Aniline. You'd be surprised how much of it you can find in a house like that, with all its paintings and new dresses. It has a lovely delayed effect that takes an hour or two to kick in. By the time it started working everyone was dancing and spreading the toxins through their systems even faster." She let herself grin wickedly. "You should have seen them passing out when we were jumping from the balcony. It was better than the dance itself."

"Did you leave an antidote?" Chopper asks, coming out of the same door Nami and Franky had appeared from.

"I told the servants to fill the fountain with methylene blue. Their doctors will figure it out. I was able to slip the slaves some keys, so hopefully they were able to escape with all the confusion."

"Well as long as you enjoyed yourself." Zoro offers a hand to her. "This doesn't count as 'too delayed,' right?"

She allows him to pull her up. "My tongue is still intact and I never made it into anything silk, so I'd say not." His hand is damp, with seawater or sweat she can't tell. She remembers that he's injured and thinks that maybe it's a good thing he didn't set foot in the ballroom. Without pulling away, she turns to the cook. "Thank you for coming to get me. It was a lovely dance."

"I should be the one thanking you," he grins dreamily. "I haven't danced like that with a woman in ages."

"We should go before he starts spouting poetry," Zoro mutters.

"Yeah," she sighs. "Mom's probably called in the warships by now." She uses both hands to examine her skirt. "I think I'll go change into something a little more battle worthy."

Nami looks her over. "What's wrong with that dress?"

"Father picked it out, of course."

When the door closes behind her the vein pops out on Zoro's forehead. "Testing a theory, huh? Is that why the dial's empty?"

"What did you expect me to drink?" Sanji asks. "She poisoned everything else. And it was _very_ good sake."

Zoro places a hand on his white handled sword. "I'll kill you."

"Go ahead." Sanji beams. "I can die happily after tonight. It's really a shame that she thought I was you." He slides his exposed eye slyly in Zoro's direction. "Do you even know how passionate an Argentine tango is?"

Zoro glances over at Robin. "We haven't gotten that far into the lessons yet." She rests her chin on her palm and smiles knowingly.

"Besides," Sanji grins. "You would have been caught in two seconds flat if you had gone up, seeing as you only know the woman's steps."

When Karmen returns, dressed as the Scarlet Secretary, Sanji has a goose egg. "Hey," Usopp calls. "Your hair is down. I haven't seen you like this since we left Gekko Island."

Karmen runs a hand through her curls. "Of course. I can't let this expensive hair product go to waste, now can I?" As she passes to the bow, she points the tip of her quill at Zoro. "You owe me a tango."

"Come on. How about a smooth?"

She turns back to look at him. "You can smooth?"

"That certainly was." Robin laughs.

Nami and Franky set Sunny sailing and Karmen adjusts her poison capsules in her quills. "To be honest, I was expecting Luffy to smash in the walls and Gatling gun everyone."

"We did, but rescuing you right away would have been boring. Besides, you spent all that time training so you could escape stuff like that on your own, right?" Luffy grins.

"So instead you…?"

"I beat up that jerk." Meaning Baldwin.

"Oh I would trade my gold seal to have seen that," she croons. "What happened to your clothes?"

"I got hit by that guy with a glass tank on his back."

"Uncle Ludovic is here?" she asks. She looks at Luffy's seemingly moth-eaten clothing again. "The guy with the big hair and the acid?" She wishes she had been there to see it.

"He _was_ there," Franky grins. "Luffy sent him flying with his bazooka along with your fiancé and mom. And _then_ we busted our way in, but you'd already made a super escape."

"The rest of us took out your mother and her guards," Usopp says proudly.

"Zoro ran off on his own and we thought he'd get to you first, but it looks like he got lost and ended up back at the ship," Nami says. "So Brook, Chopper, and Usopp went to look for Pierce, Robin moved Sunny, and the rest of us went looking for you."

"I took the liberty on myself to spirit you away, so to speak," Sanji says. "I hope you're not too upset with me."

"You were a perfect prince," she responds. "This is a lot easier than having to find you all. Sorry if I damaged your shoe."

"When we got in a cook said you were planning on escaping on your own," Usopp said. "Did something happen with Pierce?"

Karmen closes her eyes, remembering the painful state that the transponder snail had reflected. "I heard his voice through a snail," she says at last. "But I couldn't say anything to him because my father was there on the other side of the line too. If I married Baldwin, we both would die. If I escape, father will either kill him or wait for me to return on my own. There's something else that I don't know about. They need me for something. I can't guarantee it, but he has a higher chance of survival like this. Either way, I've decided that fall off the balcony is the end. Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen is dead. They may still try to use Pierce, but they won't use me ever again."

"Won't reports of you being dead give them a reason to kill Pierce?" Sanji asks.

"I didn't go with Mom and Baldwin because they threatened Pierce. If they had him here they would have brought him with them and made a big spectacle of threatening him," she explains. "I went with them because they had this." Karmen holds up a yellowed, folded piece of paper. "It's the original proof of ownership. They can't kill Pierce without serious repercussions."

"You can't beat an original Valentine," Usopp says.

Robin goes to look over the document, but Karmen tucks it into her bag. "Sorry, that's for my eyes only," she whispers. "There are others I have to protect." Robin nods with understanding.

"So what now?" Nami asks.

"Once he learns about what's happened, father will turn around and lick his wounds. The plan's the same as it's been. Cross the Red Line. Save Pierce. Burn my bridges." And find out the truth.


	43. Chapter 43: Gifter Hunter Geraldo

San Faldo is far behind the Straw Hats now and five ships line the horizon that are clearly on Gallowcomb business. They hadn't gotten far enough in Karmen's mind. The island is still visible behind them, aglow with the lights of a city that never sleeps. "There's your escapee acquisition squad," Brook says, trying to hide his battle anxiety. Hounding teams of enemies are frightening things for a pirate, even if you're already dead. "Shall I play us a battle anthem?"

"That sounds lovely." Karmen pins her veil into place and flips her quills. "I've been itching to stab these people." She climbs onto the ratlines and hangs off them by a hand and a foot. "Nami, get me onto one of those ships. Your pick."

"Wouldn't you rather run?" Usopp asks in a small voice. There's a clacking sound coming from below her that she strongly suspects is his knees.

Her glare hardens. "I'm done running." Brook begins playing and the music jolts her bones with fiery energy.

"Running's not my style either, little sis." Franky fires the Sunny cannon and blows up a ship on the end. She can see the insignia clearly now. There are large "G's" on the sails and flags that encompass a Neptunian eel crushing a cargo ship. These ones also have a small man inside a cage hanging from the G. It's not Navy, just her mother's bounty hunting crews. They must have been patrolling the waters when Sunny slipped by them this morning and now they had been called back to deal with their retreat. No remorse then.

As soon as Sunny veers past one of the enemy ships Karmen jumps into the middle of the rabble on board while Usopp and Chopper use the cannons to blow up the ship on the other side. She performs a Scarlet Spiral instantly, triple spinning into a lunge and slicing sunblade and delayed antidote into everyone around her. Nine men fell screaming at her first contact. She fades until she's ethereal and synchronizes with the fastest member of the enemy crew. Luffy leaps over her to take out the crew on the ship beyond hers. Sanji, Franky, and Robin are attacking the one on the other side of Sunny. Zoro and Chopper join her on her ship while Usopp provides support from Sunny. A firebird star bursts against a bounty hunter that was about to stab Karmen in the back. "Remember the rule?" Zoro asks, slicing up ten guys at once.

"Protect your back, stomach, friends, and nothing else?" she teases, creating a move called the Scarlet Swarm, stabbing her opponent several times in quick succession in the torso using a scorpion venom similar to bee stings.

"Close enough," he chuckles. She switches to deadbolt and uses her Blind Spot technique to take out fifteen members of the crew at once. Karmen leaps off one man's chest and performs an Aerial Spiral over the heads of four hunters, flinging feather darts as she flips through the air and stabs a woman in the leg with snake venom and a delayed antidote. She quicksteps through the crowd of enemies to collect her darts and administer antidotes.

"Do that after!" Chopper yells.

"I'm fine!" She calls back. Pain shoots through her hand as something skewers it. Darts clatter to the deck as she sees a thick blood soaked string connecting her hand to the deck and extending back somewhere far behind her. Devil fruit powers that control string. She curses and cuts the floss. "You just don't learn your lesson, do you, bounty hunter? You remind me of the thrasher tuna I had to beat with a hammer."

"I delivered your letter, Karmen." She turns around to see the bounty hunter that Willow had sent after her. The letter she had carved into his chest had healed in jagged scars that were still legible. She grins.

"You have no idea how badly I've been wanting to stab you. I don't think I caught your name last time, A. G."

"Antwan Geraldo, your mother's newest acquisition captain." He gives her a sarcastic bow. "No scarring barred this time, princess."

Karmen licks blood off her hand. "I'm going to enjoy this. I've seen what you can do and it's nothing in comparison to the original."

"I never did like being a copycat."

Karmen senses his movements with her Haki and knows what is about to happen. "Usopp, tabasco. Zoro, Mihawk at Baratie."

"Got it."

Karmen splits the first ten strings that he throws at her with the tip of her pens, slicing them off uselessly as they reach their limit. She silently thanks Franky for making them so sharp. As all three men prepare their next move she flips backwards as Geraldo sends hundreds of flat strings flying towards her in a move he calls "Ultimate Cocoon." Usopp shoots a tabasco star at Zoro who angles his sword to deflect it into Karmen's mouth. She lands with watering eyes and breathes flames at the strings, destroying them all. "That tastes like sunblade feels." She wipes her tongue on her sleeve. "You're all force and have no technique. You can't win that way. Like I said, you're a poor imitation." She crouches on the deck, surrounded by fallen bounty hunters. "I know him and I know the people I used to call family. Only Zoans come out of his factory. Isn't that right, moth-moth man?"

The bounty hunter grins. "You've got me. I'm a moth-moth man, silk moth model. They specially modified it so that I have the benefits of all its forms."

"Go hang yourself from a tree." Karmen runs at the mast, digging her heels into the wood to give herself leverage. She makes it up ten feet and pushes off the mast and into the ratlines. She dodges the next volley of strings by spinning horizontally across the netting and onto the yardarm. At this point Luffy destroys his ship with a giant battle axe, sending a cover of debris over them all. Geraldo is struck by flying planks, giving Karmen enough freedom to cloak herself and pinpoint her observation Haki at her crew. "Nami. Robin." She points to the ocean, to herself, and then Geraldo.

"On it." Nami begins throwing heat balls at the ocean, causing a thick fog to form. Karmen jumps from the sail and Robin creates an arm chain to swing her around to the bowsprit. She uses her cloaking Haki to land silently and draws out her quill. Geraldo produces two velvety wings from his back and blows away the fog and ripping up his shirt in the process. He brushes his hair out of his face, revealing two short black horns sprouting out of his head as he searches the sails for her. Karmen levers angel's trumpet stem extract into the chamber of her quills and stabs him in the shoulder where he had embroidered his initials into hers weeks ago. She gets buffeted by his wings as he turns to strike at her and gets thrown from the ship. Luffy catches her before she can hit the water and deposits her on deck as the poison starts to take effect. Geraldo's face begins to go blank and his eyes lose focus. His wings disappear and his hands hang limply at his side.

"I'm not alone anymore, bounty hunter," Karmen says. "I'm done playing their twisted games. My life is my own." Geraldo stares blankly at nothing. She sighs. He won't remember a word she says now.

Brook hops over and inspects the man. "What did you do to him?"

"I sent his mind on a vacation for a few hours. Help me tie him up before he starts wanting to mutilate himself." When that is done she turns to her captain. "Luffy, would you do the honors?"

With a grin Luffy flings his arms back, stretching them to their limits. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Karmen hadn't experienced the kind of satisfaction that she feels now as she watches him shoot into the distance for a very long time. You can't touch me, she thinks after him.

The Straw Hats sail away unpursued and Karmen breathes in free air with the crew on top of the rear observatory. "Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen is dead," she says. "Long live the Secretary."

"Then let's celebrate." Zoro holds out his hand. He'd said he'd dance a smooth with her.

Karmen can tell he's not anywhere near recovered from his battle with Kuma and running around San Faldo had taken its toll on him. "Are you sure? It can hold for a while."

Zoro ignores her and looks to Brook. The skeleton seems to grin as he sets his violin under his chin. "I promised, didn't I?" Despite her reservations, she remembers the feeling of shock at seeing Sanji instead of Zoro in the ballroom of Itluk Manor and decides a few dances wouldn't hurt. She finally accepts his hand and lets him lead her in a mid-paced smooth across the deck. She's satisfied to note that the liquid dial she'd given him is securely around his neck this time. Franky and Robin pair up and Sanji pulls Nami to her feet. Usopp and Chopper form a pair and Luffy dances around with Brook, grinning happily. "So what does a kidnapped woman do when she's not orchestrating her own escape and the poisoning of a few hundred nobles?" he asks.

"She trains her Haki," Karmen replies. "Do you know how boring all their talks about wine production are? I trained like mad just to tune it all out. And shopping. Willow can babble for hours about shopping. Do you know she bought fifteen sets of jewelry all priced at five million apiece? You can't wear jewelry like that every day. Who needs fifteen? She showed them to me and half of them were different shades of purple. I used my Haki to listen to the blood flowing through her left eye just to drown out her describing all the purple." He listens politely until her own babbling boils down to a groan. "I'm so happy to be back on Sunny. Being trapped in a manor with Baldwin and the Davenwell family is Hell on earth." They talk for a while longer before Karmen and Zoro separate for some individual footwork. She can't help but laugh as she watches him.

"Tell me that was a swordless Onigiri you just threw in there."

"Why not? I saw that Scarlet Spiral you used."

"Oh my. I've been found out."

"Was that flashy move supposed to be discrete?"

"I told you before. I dance while I fight."

"And I told you that dancing reminds me of swordplay."

"That's because you bend your knees too much."

"Told you," Robin says as she's spun in steady circles around them. She smiles and turns her focus back to Franky.

Zoro adjusts his footwork and rejoins Karmen who finds his leading much more agreeable now. "I think you would have done just fine in that ballroom," she says.

The look he gives her is almost regretting. "I did try to go get to you. I just ended up back at the ship somehow." He gives Sanji an almost accusing look, but doesn't say anything to him. Everything's worked out and he can't prove that Sanji was the one who sent him over the cliff.

Karmen lays her head on his chest and closes her eyes, assessing his vital signs with her Haki as he tries to control his breathing through the pain she knows he's in just so he can keep a promise. "You're here now. That's all that matters." As long as you stay alive.

They dance a waltz afterwards but she catches signs that he's diminishing rapidly and declares herself tired. She sits on the fencing and watches her crew happily. By this point Luffy and Chopper have started dancing with chopsticks in their noses and Franky has gone down for some cola. Sanji comes to check on her a while later when Usopp whisks Nami away. "That was thoughtful of you. He wouldn't admit it to anyone."

"You men and your shows of strength," she agrees. "Thank you again for coming for me. Despite my shock, I really do appreciate what you risked to step into that ballroom." She smiles at him. "You're a really good dancer. I'd enjoy taking another spin with you in the near future."

He returns the expression. "I'll keep that in mind."


	44. Chapter 44: Truthseption

Karmen pulls Robin into the aquarium bar and shuts the doors. "I need a letter written and it can't be in my handwriting."

"Why all the secrecy?" she asks.

"Because you're the only one I feel comfortable talking to about this." Karmen holds up the yellowed document that she had poisoned a ballroom full of nobles for. "It's not that I don't trust the others but…"

"But you've spent so many years carrying secrets that you have trouble letting them go," she says. "I understand."

"Which is why I'm asking you." They sit down at the bar. "Pierce was given to me in the form of a slave when I was six. How much do you know about Valcour Island?"

"I know that it's one of the main ports for DavenGallow Company and it's protected by Bartholomew Kuma." She smiles and rests her chin in her hand. "He's your warlord, right?"

"Yeah." She smiles. "I guess it's pretty easy to figure out when you have the facts."

"And you don't want to tell everyone else because of what happened at Thriller Bark."

"Nail on the head." Karmen lays out a few sheets of paper and places a bottle of ink and a quill near them. She lays her head in her hands for a moment. "I know it looked like he was trying to kill everyone but… he's a very kind man and I owe him my life a hundred times over. I wish you could know him like I do."

"I'd like to know that side of him as well," Robin says.

"I have a small confession to make," Karmen says softly as her hands still. Robin leans her chin into her palm and smiles softly, ready to listen. "Back when we first met, I didn't really distrust you. Even after all the stories I was told about how you were forced to betray group after group to survive. I used to idolize you, actually. After watching people die day after day, a life of running sounded like a dream. I know it must have been lonely and painful for you, but it was everything I ever wanted growing up. To take Pierce and get away from the death and the guards and the government agents and go where none of them could ever find us.

"I think the reason I was so distant is because I was jealous of how Kuma spoke about you. He always said your name with admiration and pride. He was a Revolutionary, you know, before he became a warlord, before… We both knew you were fighting just to live, but he liked the fact that someone could shake the world government to the core and lived to tell the tale like you did. I disliked you because he liked you. I'm sorry for behaving like a child. I wanted to keep him all to myself."

Robin smooths Karmen's curls. "I'm sure he speaks of you with even more admiration. He obviously cares for you greatly." They sit in silence and let the moment sink in. Finally Robin sits up, lifts the pen, and taps the paper. "What are we doing with these?"

"Right." Karmen rubs her eyes and leans back. "When Pierce was given to me, ownership wasn't transferred. This is what I need you to write:"

 _Dear Mr. and Mrs. Gallowcomb,_

 _We regret to inform you that your daughter Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen has been found dead. We were able to identify her remains due to the Gallowcomb crest on her ring. We have included this and photographs as proof of death. Unfortunately there was not enough left to be sent back for a funeral. For this reason we have given her a burial at sea in full ceremony. We are very sorry for your loss._

 _In other matters, due to documents found on the body, it has come to light that ownership of a certain servant, previously in your daughter's care and whom we now believe is in your possession, was never transferred to the Gallowcomb name. Be informed that any wrongful harm or death brought to this servant will be punished to the full extent of the law of the sea. We hope for your continued safety in these matters and again, we are sorry for your loss._

Karmen places a four pointed seal on the bottom of the document in place of a signature. "I swiped this off one of the government agents that were guarding me in San Faldo. Living with a cat burglar comes in handy." From her pocket she pulls photographs of a dark haired, water swollen woman who had been mostly eaten by marine life and wrapped in seaweed and tattered cloth. One is a close up of the Gallowcomb signet ring on a hand missing three fingers and most of the wrist wrapped in the remains of a brine-splattered glove. Another was a photocopy of the ownership document. She slides them into an envelope. "The Gallowcombs throw bodies of dead slaves into the ocean," she says. "It wasn't hard to find one in San Faldo and take a few pictures. I gave her a decent burial in the middle of the night when my guard fell asleep. God rest her soul." When the ink has dried she places the letter in the envelope with her signet ring and seals it with the same seal. The only thing Robin writes on the outside is Mr. Gallowcomb's name and the address of the house on Galaval Island on the other side of the Red Line. The letter is mailed out that afternoon. Without Karmen having to ask, Robin says she'll keep this matter between them until she feels comfortable saying something on her own.

"Let us know when you're ready for our help." As Robin goes back up on deck to get back to whatever she had been doing, Karmen pulls out her log book and opens the cover. Inside is a small freshly pressed sunflower and a set of documents. She stares at them for a long time before turning to a blank page and picking up the quill.

 _Valentine's Personal Log 24: Family_

 _Three days ago I was cleaning barnacles off the side of Sunny when a large, harnessed fish emerges from the depths. My mother was on it, wearing an air tank and San Faldo robes and holding up a yellow piece of paper in a sealed plastic bag. I knew what it was instantly and had to force myself not to call the crew. It would have been so easy to take her out, but if that document had fallen into the ocean I would have lost everything. I wanted to take her hostage and exchange her for Pierce, but I knew that my father would have told me to shoot her, despite the retaliation her family would take. He has no love for Willow. Everything is business for him and most of her assets have already been placed in his name. I also wasn't sure that she didn't have backup waiting just below the surface. Underestimating Willow has often led to ruin._

 _I left my beautiful metal quills stabbed through the eyes of the mask I had bought in Water 7. I planned on coming back on my own, but I thought I'd leave that as a little note just in case. I knew Franky could fill in the missing information. I stepped onto the fish, took the oxygen mask she offered and held onto the harness as we dove into the cold ocean until all I could see was the faint pinprick of the sun piercing the surface. I was right about the extra security. She had a whole team of bounty hunters on similar fish just waiting for a signal. I knew that Willow had no interest in the Straw Hats, so long as I was compliant. I closed my eyes and prayed I wasn't making a mistake. I had to know if Pierce was wherever she was taking me. I had to know if he was ok. I was going to get that document, one way or the other._

 _It took hours to reach San Faldo. We rode the fish straight into the private cove of Baldwin's mansion. The building is housed on a cliffside far above with stairs leading to it. There are several guests there already and servants running around in the chaos of party prep. Baldwin loves his mixers. Mother is provided with a changing booth to get into dry clothes immediately. I'm left dripping and cold. Their new butler hands me a towel. He smiles pleasantly, but I can feel that he's terrified by my presence. I know the mere thought of them replacing Godwin twisted my face into a gruesome expression. He thinks I'm like her. I have to pretend that I am._

 _I'm led upstairs and seated at a table in Baldwin's study. I heard father and Pierce over a transponder snail. I spoke like my old self, praying Pierce remembered the code. He's been with me since he was eight, so I'm sure he does. He knows I'm coming. He knows I plan to fight. Stay alive until I reach you, my friend. I'll be there soon._

 _Father, mother, and I agreed on a backstory to satisfy the people I had avoided for two years, including Baldwin. It would reflect badly on the family if the truth were to come to light. I began a new branch of DavenGallow Co. in apple production, finding an island to set up an apple orchard that was just about ready to produce its first crops. I had to work in secret because a disgruntled kidnapping syndicate was upset over my guards killing one of their men and had sent assassins after me. Kuma rescued me from an assassin two years ago and I'd been underground while father had tracked down the syndicate and disposed of those who threatened my life. Now that I was safe, I had returned to reestablish my future marriage which I regretfully had to abandon before. Just repeating it all in writing makes me want to hurl, but it did the job._

 _The government agents guarding me agreed to let me speak to the chef and decoration team leader. Both are slaves. Though I am technically a prisoner, being that I was compliant and they believed the story, I was given free reign of the mansion. I offered them a chance of freedom. All they had to do was scrape some paintings for the chemicals needed to poison the food and soak new dresses in the punch bowl to let the dyes and toxins seep into the drink. The chef they had was almost as good as Sanji. He knew just how to mask the taste. The methylene blue in the fountain gives the water exotic look and make sure there is a way to save those who are innocent. Too bad antidotes aren't selective._

 _I'd been in this mansion before and knew where Baldwin kept the keys to the exploding collars. I acquired them using my cloaking Haki and made sure there was also a key to the gate included. There would only be a small window of distraction for us all to get out, but it would be enough. All I have to do is fade. I was put in a black dress and forced into a ballroom full of self-righteous nobles and government stooges. I had to pretend that I was going to marry Baldwin again. This time, if something went wrong, there would be no Pierce or Kuma to come to my rescue._

 _I had forgotten how much I hate pretending. Before it had been a way of life. A way to survive until I could find a quiet place to collapse into misery and despair, feel the breath of freedom taunt me from the back of a fish, or escape for a few precious hours into the vineyard with Kuma. The two people I wanted to see most were nowhere near San Faldo. If I became trapped here and actually ended up being forced to the altar, would Kuma kill Baldwin and my father? Would my crew come smashing down the walls and slice up everyone who stands between me and freedom? Would I poison everyone who tried to stop me or would I bite my tongue and end their control over me once and for all?_

 _Thoughts like this poured through my mind like a record, boiling down to two things: 1. I want to see Kuma. Not as the warlord following orders, but as my friend. I want to feel his comforting presence and fall asleep curled up in his hat. I want to share apples and tea and hear about things that could get me killed for simply knowing. I want to see my friend. 2. When all this is over I'm going to stay with the crew. Houses like this are not my home. These people are not my family, nor will they ever be. My family is on a ship with a lion on the bowsprit. My family is the Straw Hat pirates and I am their secretary. When I rescue Pierce, I will bring him home._

 _I kissed as many cheeks as possible, making sure the antimony powder in my makeup would irritate the faces of all those I loathe. I couldn't wait for them to puff up like allergic red balloons with watering eyes and swollen lips. They're all insufferable. Everyone nauseating was present, but even I was surprised when_ he _walked in with his pink feather coat and his pointy rose colored glasses. Doflamingo high kneed his way right to me, shoving Baldwin aside, grinning his Joker grin, and pulled me into a dance. I was scared and confused, but I liked his disruption. I did not kiss his cheek and he did not give me the opportunity to pull away. "You are the last person I expected, Doffy," I told him. I kept my voice cold, less out of pretending and more from understanding his alignment with my father._

" _I heard my lovely cousin was getting married again," was his response. But his smile said otherwise._

" _Are you here to blow up the mansion?"_

" _Would you like me to?" He took a small sunflower out of his inside pocket and threaded it into my hair. He'd come from Dressrosa. I remember the field where those flowers grew. Somewhere on that island or nearby was a factory where he produced artificial devil fruit. Somewhere in that factory his scientists had learned to produce a Zoan fruit that mimicked Doffy's paramecia. At some point in the last year he had given that fruit to my father and he had given it to mother's favorite bounty hunter and she had sent that bounty hunter after me._

" _What do you want? What more do you want to take?" I ended up spitting the words at him, hating his grin and how it widened at me. I didn't care if my cover broke. He was too much. Too present._

 _He forced me to dance along with him. "Don't get ahead of yourself, cuz. My people have been reporting on you ever since they saw you in Alabasta and killed that bounty hunter. Mr. 6, wasn't it?" I remembered how the man had been found dead with a desert strawberry in his stomach. It hadn't been father's men who killed him after all. But that begged the question: Why didn't Doflamingo tell Gallowcomb? "It was a shame we missed each other in Mock Town. I've enjoyed how hard you've worked to cover your trail. When you're done here, I could use someone like you."_

" _I know you've been working with father. Why would I ever want to work for you?"_

" _Because I still see you as family. Don't make that face at me. I only came to give you a gift." At this the music ended and he hugged me, enveloping me in his billowing coat. I felt him use his string-string powers on my leg. I panicked for a moment, remembering being attacked by the bounty hunter, and tried to push him away, wishing I had my weapons so I could stab him and cut the threads. He held me tight until I felt paper against my leg under the skirt that hid my scarred thigh. I stilled, more curious than scared. He had tied something to my leg. "Look it over in private," he said before releasing me. "I'm sure you'll find it enlightening. I know I did." He made some comment about needing to blow up someone else's groom and left me standing there in the middle of the ballroom. I wanted to rip the papers from my leg and pour through them right there, but mom and Baldwin were watching me closely._

 _It wasn't until three in the morning that I was able to escape to my rooms and cut the strings off my leg behind a privacy screen. A government agent was sitting in a chair just inside of my door, so I couldn't read them until around five when she finally fell asleep. I don't know what to make of the documents he gave me. I don't know if it's mind blowing information or a sick joke. I want it to be true, but if it's true, what the hell am I? The documents are the family lines of both the Gallowcombs and Davenwells as of the government mandated census three years ago. According to these documents, Gallowcomb Edward Herbert Ikaika and Davenwell Antwanette Jenevive Willow never had a child. In fact, he included a medical record stating that Willow is sterile. If this is true…_

 _Who am I? What makes me important? Why are they so desperate to keep me?_

 _I learned two things before the crew came to rescue me:_

 _1._ _19 years ago Kuma made a deal with the government and the Gallowcombs that included a clause saying I was not to be physically harmed._

 _2._ _It is highly likely that I am not a Gallowcomb._

 _I'm not sure if I can trust Doffy as far as I can throw him, but he's got some great black market connections. Something tells me these documents are real. I feel displaced. I don't know who or what I am or where I'm from. It feels like I've been cast into the sea with no ship in sight. Who can I trust with this information and where can I go to find more? I need time to process what I've learned. Kuma gave Pierce to me when I was six. They'd kept general contact with each other up until two years ago when I was rescued and Pierce was left behind to the hell that is my fa… Mr. Gallowcomb. Maybe he can let me in on the big secret._


	45. Chapter 45: Atonement

Floorboards creak. Karmen throws three feather darts with one hand and an entire metal quill with the other. All four bury themselves in the wall of the women's bedroom near the door. Cold sweat pours down her face and back and her breathing is ragged. Usopp stands stock still, but the tray of tea in his hand clatters steadily with his shaking hands. Karmen slowly realizes where she is and who she had just attacked and tears well up in her eyes. "Usopp. I'm so sorry. I…" Usopp steps forward and sets the tray on her bedside table. She pulls him to her by the overalls, breathing heavily into his shoulder.

"Another nightmare?" Sanji asks, lighting a cigarette.

"She's had them nearly every night since San Faldo," Zoro comments. "Even her insomnia is back. I'm just glad she thought ahead and kept the Plucharon in her workroom."

"If I had dreams like that every time I closed my eyes I wouldn't sleep much either." The two men stand outside the door watching Karmen slowly calm herself. Just the night before she had slashed Robin's arm with her knife when she'd tried to wake Karmen up from a similar nightmare. Karmen had apologized profusely while she administered her deadbolt antidote and Chopper gave her stitches. They'd developed a three man wake up team: one crew member to wake her up and two others to pull that crew member out of the way of projectiles and to block any other unconscious assaults. Usopp was very fond of this plan, especially since it just saved him from severe discomfort. Karmen had tried to hide her own weapons from herself, but she'd developed a habit of sleepwalking and returning to bed with something sharp and often poisoned. With her gift of cloaking Haki, no one was able to catch her in the act until the deed was done. One time she had even attained one of Sanji's kitchen knives and dosed it with sunblade. She'd spent the rest of that night scrubbing the poison off the blade. Tying her to the bed didn't do any good. She'd taught herself how to slip out of knots too well for it to be effective. The only way to keep her wandering in her sleep, they'd found, was to allow her a weapon before she closed her eyes and keep tabs on who walked in.

"I keep hearing Pierce. I keep hearing his voice," Karmen says, leaning back and looking at Usopp. "He sounded like he was in so much pain." The topic of most of her nightmares has been Pierce's fate. She hadn't heard his voice in over two years and now that she'd spoken to him in a coded conversation over a transponder snail in San Faldo she couldn't stop. "Promise me. Promise me again."

Usopp holds her shoulders. "I promise we'll keep you from killing Gallowcomb." She'd had them all promise her this again and again.

"I dreamed that I killed Ikaika, and then I killed Willow. I killed Geraldo and every single DavenGallow bounty hunter and sniper. I was so angry and I just kept stabbing people. I couldn't stop. My hands were covered in blood and their bodies piled up behind me." And then Kuma had appeared, which as of yet she hadn't told anyone. His glass lens eyes were indifferent and unrecognizing as he stood over her. He looked at the blood on her hands and dropped his bible in the puddle of crimson at her feet. His mouth opened, but instead of words, a laser poured out.

In her dream she felt she deserved it, yet she still woke up attacking people, some part of her still fighting for survival. If no one walked in to wake her up, all the corpsey faces of the slaves she had seen die on Valcour came up out of the blood like Moriah's shadows. They'd point and say "You didn't save me." And when it all became too unbearable, Godwin would appear and say the same thing. "You didn't save me. You watched me die and you didn't save me." If the dream progressed this far she woke up screaming. For the first few times when she'd woken up she'd masked her emotions and held her blank expression while she processed the dreams but Sanji had approached her with tension in his jaw and concern in his eye and said, "Don't let them make you weak. It's ok. Just let it out." It reminded her of a conversation held on the top of an Alabastan palace rooftop and tears instantly dripped down to her chin. Now she cried as soon as she woke up and didn't stop until she felt better.

"Their deaths weren't your fault," Chopper says from behind Sanji and Zoro. He makes his way into the room with a wet towel. "You've never killed anyone and you aren't the kind of person who would. You did everything you could for the slaves on Valcour." Chopper had been giving her therapy sessions. They had helped enough to reduce the number of people that she killed in her dreams, but she still needed a lot of work. "I know speaking to your family and Pierce triggered a lot for you but the people you saw die lost their lives because of the Gallowcombs and no one else." Survivor's guilt, he'd called it. She used to feel it after her escape when Pierce was left behind and she'd spent a year and a half on Gekko Island. After spending two days with Willow and Baldwin all the emotions and memories were coming flooding back. Deep down she knew it was just her brain coming to terms with what she'd only buried before, but it was exhausting and once she'd gotten done processing for the day she felt empty.

Karmen lies back, covers her face with her pillow, and screams into it in frustration. "I just want to sleep!" she groans, throwing the pillow at the wall.

"I wish I could find a medicine that helped," Chopper says miserably.

"I think I'd be afraid to try anything else," Karmen sighs. "With the effect medicine has on me and me finally getting the hang of my cloaking Haki I might seriously hurt someone." She sits up and rubs a hand through her hair. "Sorry I'm so complicated." She drinks her tea slowly and it makes her feel better.

"Will you be ok now?" Usopp asks.

"I dealt with death on a daily basis growing up," she says. "It's when they start coming back that freaks me out." A thought hits her. "Oh jeez. What if now that I'm supposed to be dead I run into someone I actually liked and they freak out?" Zoro laughs. "I'm serious! What am I supposed to tell the people I like? Hey, sorry. I hate my family so I faked my death? I mean, being dead is nice and all, but I might give someone a heart attack."

"How many people from your old life do you actually like?" Sanji asks.

She thinks for a moment. "Four and a half as far as noble life goes? Five tops. If we include fish riding tournaments then maybe ten, but I only saw those guys like three times a year and our relationship only went so far as to try to keep our fish from eating their fish before we reached the finish line."

"Man your childhood's messed up," Franky says, poking his head around the doorframe.

Karmen's eyes passed over all the men standing in or around her bedroom and then she looks down at her wrinkled pajamas and her tangled hair. "Thank you for waking me up and bringing me tea, but could you all step out for a moment so I can get changed?"

"I don't mind at all, Karmen," Sanji says. "Go ahead and change. I'll be right here to-"

Usopp grabs him by the ear and drags him away on his way out. Chopper shuts the door on behind him. Karmen sighs and slides her legs over the side of the bed. She pulls a vial of scorpion venom from beneath the mattress and takes a small swig. She stands and pries her weapons out of the wall and rubs her hand over the growing number of gouges in the wood. "Sorry, Sunny." As the alcoholic reaction the poison has on her begins to take place as she changes into a robe and heads up to bath. She sinks into the warm water and closes her eyes.

"You didn't save me," they had said.

"I saved who I could," she responded to the voices still echoing in her mind. "Even Dr. Saaresto knew we couldn't save them all." Dr. Saaresto, the doctor who had acid thrown in his face for defying the orders of a Celestial Dragon when Willow commanded him to perform the coming of age ritual on her. She had led him by the hand to a wash basin and had rinsed his face off. By all reason Willow and Ludovic should have killed him. They killed everyone else for even a minor transgression, but they hadn't killed him. From that day forward half his face bore the scars of his devotion to her over noble lineage. Or maybe just to protecting an innocent child. Either way, he was left with one gray eye that refused to move, no matter where his remaining piercing blue one turned. As she thinks about it now she wonders if they had left him alive because he had forced them to uphold the terms of Kuma's agreement. Dr. Saaresto had known about it. He was probably the one who labeled Willow sterile.

The agreement. The only way Karmen can figure it is that she's the daughter of someone important to the revolution. The child of a beloved comrade who Kuma felt obliged to protect. With whatever the government already held over him when she was born, he had decided to take that extra sacrifice to protect someone as trivial as her. Kuma was kind that way. He couldn't bear to see a friend suffer if there was a way he could stop it, no matter what it cost him. That was evident in the laser beams she kept having nightmares about.

She takes a deep breath and slides beneath the water, opening her eyes and looking at the neon ripples above. She loves seeing water from below and the rainbows of refracted light across her skin. This view was one of her favorite things about fish riding and it was even more beautiful in the rain. This view always made her feel happy, even if now it is nostalgically so. She closes her eyes and thinks back to the competitions. Pierce was always there, either beside her to help train her mount or on the shore cheering her on and calling advice. Godwin too, but he had already passed on all his fish riding secrets, so he mostly stood there silently, assessing her technique and the angles that she guided the fish. He wouldn't say anything while she was in the water, but when they lit a fire to dry her off he would give her pointers. No, I couldn't save you, she thought. But you saved me. She thinks back to the butlers' gentle guidance and kind smile. Were you my father?

She sighs, letting little bubbles escape from her nose. She'd be a wreck if she keeps looking at every kind man from her past and asking if she was their daughter. And what about her mother? Willow had had her parental moments and it was true that she became less cruel as Karmen grew older. She doesn't believe this was because Pierce's contact with Kuma, though it probably helped. Had she gone mad after she had found out that she couldn't bear children and had been willing to take in any child, so long as she could pretend it was her own? Or had she seen Karmen as the thing she could never have and never hurt, so she took it out on the slaves, only feeling less mocked as time passed? Would acceptance of these facts cause her to lose interest in hurting those she saw as worms on the ground? Willow had never loved her, that was for certain, but she had more of a familial bond with Karmen than Ikaika had. There had never been any pain behind the horrendous things he'd done. Just sheer pleasure in the sadistic acts. He'd never wanted children, that was for certain. He only delighted in pain and making little girls cry.

A hand formed from the tub's base and tapped Karmen on the shoulder. She looks up and sees Robin standing above her. She emerges from the water and looks up at her crewmate. "We've reached the Red Line. I thought you might want to come see it," she says.

"I'll be out in a minute," Karmen responds. Robin walks out and Karmen grabs a towel and begins drying her hair. She pins it up and gets dressed, stepping out onto the deck and staring up at a mass of red rock for as far as her eyes can see up, left, and right. "You've crossed this before, right?" Nami asks. "Do you know how to get to Fishman Island?"

Karmen shakes her head. "We always went over."

 _Ship's Log 4: The Mermaid_

 _While Luffy, Brook, and Robin went down in the shark sub to try to find Fishman Island I climbed into the crow's nest and used the telescope to try to see the top of the cliffs. I couldn't of course. They disappear into the clouds in an endless craggy red. Somewhere up there is Mariejois. I wonder if Ikaika made it there with Pierce before Sanji and I jumped off the balcony. Zoro worked out behind me, lifting weights twice my size while doing a handstand. With what he's been through this week, I can only chalk it up to him being a monster of creation, but I think we all prefer him this way._

 _The sub team ended up being chased back to the surface by a giant bunny fish. They're not as cute as they sound, especially with glowing red eyes. Luffy punched it and it spit two creatures out onto the deck. I chased the falling beings with the telescope and felt more guilt from my sleepless nights. A mermaid and a talking starfish. My ex-cousin bought a mermaid once. He kept her until her fin split and then sold her again. I hope somehow she made it back to the ocean, but I know that's likely not the case._

 _Zoro ended up going down, but I stayed in the crow's nest. Apparently her friend Hatchi was kidnapped by traffickers and we went to rescue him. I saw fish riders. I could tell by the flying fish they rode and their glider style attacks that they hadn't been at this long. They lacked finesse. We rescued Hatchi, who turned out to be the octopus guy from Arlong's crew and the fish riders began their attack. I think a ride on a flying fish will do me good. I'm going to go kick someone off theirs, all for the sake of joining in on the fight, of course._

Karmen pulls her veil out of her pocket and hooks it over her ears with freshly added loops. She had modified the slip of fabric while her insomnia kept her awake and bored. It doesn't go with the t-shirt and the shorts she's wearing, but she doesn't feel like going to change only go ride a fish. Her metal pens will be enough for these guys. She jumps onto the yardarm with a "Sync." A rider wizzes out of the water and she jumps, toes of her sandals meeting the rider's oxygen mask head on. She grabs the handlebars as the fish rockets upwards and angles it so that she falls into the saddle. She dives down into the water and has her fish ram two others, knocking the riders from their mounts. They take the battle to the sky. Karmen barrel rolls in a serpentine fashion around four riders and loosens the latches on the harnesses, causing the riders to fall into the water with a splitting impact. At that moment Brook takes off across the water and plays his lullaby. Karmen finds herself falling asleep, her recent relapse of insomnia not allowing her to resist.

She instantly begins dreaming. She faces Ikaika and Willow. In her hands are her knife and a metal quill. The old rage fills her as she sees Pierce's lifeless body at their feet, more bloody pulp than man. She throws three feather darts, pinning her ex-father to the wall. A fourth skewers her ex-mother's abdomen with deadbolt, effectively paralyzing her. She grips the knife in both hands and raises it to stab Ikaika in the heart like she had so many times before. She stabs it into the wall by his head instead. "I refuse!" she yells. "I won't kill you again! I'm not like you! You're lower than a mated male angler fish and I would rather be eaten by cookie cutter sharks than spend one more minute thinking that I might stoop to your level!"

In the waking world, the fish rider she had nearly skewered melts in his seat. "This chick's nuts." He ducks under her arm and jumps into the ocean.

Karmen turns to find the person she'd actually been trying to kill in every nightmare that she'd had, the person that she'd stabbed through body after body trying to find: the part of her that was still identifies as a Gallowcomb. The part of her that wanted to kill them so she could stop looking at the people who raised her and feel sympathy for the devil out of bonds that aren't even there. That were never there. It would be ignorant to say that being raised by masochists didn't influence her personality and morals, but there had been a part of her that still saw them as family, no matter how much she wanted them dead. She screeches and slams the blunt end of her pen into her duplicate's forehead. The woman in front of her smiles and shatters like glass.

In her dream Godwin appears and picks Pierce off the ground. "He's alive," a familiar voice says from behind her. She turns to find Kuma. He places his hand on her head in that old familiar gesture. He picks her up off the ground and carries her away from the blood stained ground and sets her down in an apple orchard. Godwin lays Pierce beside her. "I trained you for this," Kuma says.

She looks down at Pierce's face. He looks whole here. Not an ounce of scarred flesh except for the bullet wound scar below his left collarbone that he had gotten saving her life two years ago. His angular chin and his long nose bob gently as he breathes in his sleep. His short eyelashes shift in dream and there is a peacefulness to the set of his square mouth. His long russet hair is pulled back into a low ponytail like it always had been when he had been by her side. She returns her gaze to Kuma. "Why did you save me? There were so many others. Why me?"

He turns and waves his hand at the trees behind him. "So you could save them." One by one, slaves that she had prevented excess harm to begin to step out from behind the apple trees. There was a man who she had pretended to shoot at so she could waste all of Willow's bullets. There was the woman who had been flogged by Ikaika whom Pierce had carried to Dr. Saaresto while she distracted Mr. Gallowcomb. There are hundreds, and she remembers every single one.

She closes her eyes and smiles. "Thank you, Kuma, Godwin. I think I know what to do now." She opens her eyes, but the only person that remains is Pierce. Even the edges of the orchard are beginning to fragment and disappear. She brushes Pierce's bangs from his face. "If you die before I rescue you, I'll kill you myself. Do you hear me, bodyguard?" The man beside her chuckled in his sleep and opens his stone gray eyes.

Karmen wakes on the demolished straw roof of a building at Duval's hideout. Several other huts around her have been destroyed and a large bull lies passed out down the dock. She checks her weapons. Her knife is missing as well as four feather darts. She curses under her breath and checks which ones they are. Other than the deadbolt, the missing poisoned weapons contain toxins that eventually wear off. She searches and finds her knife in the saddle of a flying fish, three of her darts pinning a man to a building, and her last one in the leg of a very stiff trafficker. She administers the antidote to the latter and returns to the crew.

"We thought it best not to wake you," Sanji says. "You seemed to be sleeping peacefully."

"I heard music and just passed out," Karmen says, a little confused.

"Ah. Forgive me," Brook says.

She smiles and waves him off. "You'll have to play me to sleep more often. I had a good dream this time, even if I did get stabby."

They return to the ship and Hatchi fixes them takoyaki. Despite the delicious taste, Karmen eats hers slowly up on the deck of Sunny. "It would be easier to eat if you took your veil off," Franky says.

"You have been wearing that thing longer than usual," Zoro comments. "What's up?"

Karmen looks down to the underwater residents aboard Hatchi's boat. "I think I'll go brew some tea." When she comes back out, Hatchi, Keimi the mermaid, and Pappug the talking starfish are on deck. She passes out the cups takes a deep breath. "This may end up causing some unpleasantness, but I feel I would be shaming the Straw Hat name if I didn't come clean."

Everyone stares at her, but she looks at Hatchi and Keimi. "Did I do something to you in the past too?" Hatchi asks, looking extremely apologetic.

"Quite the opposite, I'm afraid. My name now is Valentine W. Karmen," she says. She removes her veil. "But I was once known as Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen. I was raised by one of the many noble families that have caused the suffering of your people. I witnessed many auctions and many deaths and displays of fishmen and mermaids, things I'd rather not speak about. I did what I could for them, but I was always under heavy guard. I want to apologize for what I was unable to do, and to say I'm sorry for the things that have already been done. If you choose to hate me, I will understand. For what it's worth, I hope you reach the sun."

"Is that more code?" Usopp whispers to Robin. She only shrugs.

"That name…" Hatchi blinks at her and remembers watching her ride the flying fish. "Ten years ago at a fish riding tournament, did you unlock a mermaid's collar?"

Karmen blinks. When she had gone over her speech in her head she had been prepared for yelling, to be attacked, to be shamed and hated, but the octopus fishman completely bypassed all that. She thinks back. "Was she the one being held in a shark cage underwater before the match?" It had been her first attempt to rescue anyone with gills. She hadn't been sure if the fish woman wouldn't turn around to drown her like they did in the legends, but she had been a person and there weren't any guards beneath the water. She hadn't even been sure she could pick the lock. She only had a bobby pin on her and she'd been nine. She'd had just enough time to slip onto her mount and surface on the other side of the lane before anyone got suspicious.

"Hatchin," Keimi says with a shocked expression. "Are you talking about Felicity-chin? I work with her back at the café! She's always talking about the noble's kid who helped her escape. She could never remember the whole name, but she remembered it started with Gallow."

Karmen gives a shocked laugh. "You mean she made it home?" She sits down. "I thought for sure she was going to get caught again. There were so many hunters there that day and I was barely small enough to fit through the bars. I've never heard about anyone that I'd helped escape before. She made it." She covers her mouth as her eyes glaze with relief and Keimi hugs her tightly. She looks up at Chopper. "I saved who I could."

Eventually the conversation turns back to how to get to Fishman Island and Karmen and Hatchi had already become fast friends. After all, she was a virtuoso when it came to fish. She had never thought about having a ship coated before. No one she had ever grown up with had ever crossed the Red Line by diving. Soon enough, however, the mangrove trees came into view.


	46. Chapter 46: With Friends Like These

Karmen had stayed aboard while the others explored the mossy trees and discovered the bubble sap of Sabaody Archipelago. She'd seen it all before and knows the savage underbelly of this beautiful beast. She had planned on staying aboard until they found someone to do the coating job, but she saw Zoro jump from the deck and began arguing with Usopp and Sanji. She's glad that she had changed into her red outfit hours ago and pins her veil in place. She steps out on deck. "I'll make sure he doesn't get lost," she tells the two men. She selects a few apples off Cruella and Beatrice and picks up a short line of rope. She jumps from the ship and catches up to him as casually as possible.

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with this place," Zoro comments when the ship is out of sight.

"It's not that I don't enjoy Sabaody, it's just that there's a lot of people here that I don't," Karmen responds, wishing she had pockets to shove her hands into to look indignant. Instead she laces her fingers in front of her, keeping her palms close to the gas grenades on her belt. Feeling this doesn't give her enough to do with her hands, she pokes a knotted rope through two passing bubbles and places her apples inside them. Thinking she needs a way to differentiate the two she removes a plate and spray bottle from her satchel and places them under and around the poisoned apple. She hands one of the shiny red orbs to Zoro. "That one's clean, promise." As he goes to take a bite she adds, "Let me know how it tastes."

The apple stops inches from his teeth. "You haven't tried one yet?"

"That's the first."

He frowns at her before tossing the apple into the air and slicing it. Two halves fall into her hands as he sheathes his blade. He takes one from her. "Try something before you start handing it out."

Karmen admires the apple for a moment before looking around. There aren't any people in this area. She does a Haki sweep just to make sure. Lowering her veil, she takes a small bite, and then another. It was sweet, perfectly ripe, crisp, and juicy. Not only did it taste amazing, it gave her a nostalgic feeling of her time with Kuma. "It's perfect," she says happily. Zoro gives a soft smile and eats his. "You and Sanji picked out really great trees for me. Thank you."

"The apples taste this good because you treated them with care. It reflects in the taste."

Karmen smiles and takes another bite. "I'm fonder of apples than I am of grapes," she says. When she's finished she tosses the apple core aside and pulls out another apple, shining it on her dress as she puts her veil back in place.

"Why did you let me cut that apple in half when you had another one in your bag?" Zoro asks with an edge of mocked frustration.

"You didn't ask. You just sliced," she says flatly. When he realizes he can't deny it he sighs and doesn't say anything. Karmen has to pinch her lips together with her teeth to keep from laughing, glad that he can't see her expression under the thin strip of embroidered fabric. "It was a very thoughtful gesture," she says in a way that lets him hear the smile in her voice.

He cocks his head back and looks at her with one eye. "Are you aware that you get very polite when you're trying not to laugh at someone?" he asks, but not in a way that says he's offended.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Zoro dear." Zoro dear gives a short chuckle and continues walking with a smile. For a moment, Karmen forgets about the auction houses and Celestial Dragons on the archipelago. There's only two friends sharing a pleasant walk.

As they get into the residential and retail groves Karmen's smile begins to fade. Unconsciously she walks slightly closer to Zoro as her eyes dart over the crowds. She'd gotten unused to being around this many people and she recognizes several. There weren't only tourists and high end clientele, there were other pirates. She holds her breath as she makes eye contact with a pirate that she recognizes from the North Blue. He wears a spotted hat, carries a sword, and has a bear in a worker's jumpsuit next to him. He watches her watching him with an intentional gaze as if he's trying to place her recognition, all the while smirking confidently.

"Are you ok?"

"Hm?" She blinks at Zoro who is several steps in front of her. She hadn't realized she'd stopped walking. "Oh. Yeah. I just saw something cute and fuzzy." She quickly catches up to him.

Zoro looks at the bear. "You're fascinated by odd things," he comments. "You liking a bear is oddly out of the abnormal for you."

"I like bears," Karmen says. They remind her of Kuma. The spots on Law's hat remind her of Kuma. Her apples remind her of Kuma. This place reminds her of Kuma. She freaking misses Kuma.

Her chin is suddenly grabbed and Zoro is examining the little amount of her face that's exposed. "You're not getting sick are you?"

Karmen gently slaps his hand away and walks past him. "This place messes with my head."

"Then why did you come?" he asks, falling in line beside her.

Why indeed. "There's a theme park here," she says quietly. "I… I wanted to go to it before we crossed the Red Line and before I see fa… Gallowcomb."

"Why don't you just say father or dad? You haven't called him that since we left San Faldo," he says.

Because he's not my real father. "I'm distancing myself from those people," she says instead. "They may have raised me, but they were never family." How many half-truths can she tell them? Karmen wonders why she hasn't told the crew what Doflamingo revealed to her even though she'd hardly been able to tear her mind from it since that night. Because I want more proof. Because I don't want to tell them how I know because Doflamingo scares me, she thinks. Because he had his eye on me for most of the past year and I never even suspected it. And oh, by the way, he wants to recruit me. He probably knows I'm not dead. Because I don't want anyone else to have plans for how I should live my life. Because saying it out loud means that my real family could be just as bad or worse than the last, if that's even possible. Because I can't look for Pierce and my birth parents at the same time, and I know that Pierce is present and alive and loving and in trouble. If I keep on this train of thought I _will_ make myself sick. Karmen sighs at the circles her mind runs in.

There's a _clink_. She barely hears it over the crowd around them, but the sound is so familiar and ominous that she recognizes it immediately. Slave chains. She stops suddenly and Zoro stops with her, looking for what's captured her attention. She turns, seeing the man in a bubble suit and his party before most of the people around them. Which one? You have to figure out if you're going to run or fight really fast, her brain tells her. Who is it? "It's Maurice," she says, mostly answer her own mind. Surprisingly, she finds her utter disgust with the man's presence completely smothering any fear that rises with his progress in their general direction.

Maurice and Saint Charloss had been in a years long competition as to who could find the largest number of beautiful women to be their "wives" and concubines. Seeing as neither of them knew how to take care of a living person, much less how to treat a woman, and no one was willing to educate them, their numbers never stayed above twenty for long.

Karmen watches the Celestial Dragon approach on the back of a human slave. It's a familiar sight that she loathes, but it does bring one fond memory to mind.

She was a young child, sitting at the edge of the vineyard, having a tea party with Kuma. She loved how his hands dwarfed the cup and how he would sometimes let her wear his hat, even though she could be completely swallowed up under it.

Her adoptive father had ridden by on his latest slave. She and Kuma could tell the chained man was in terrible condition. Her hands shook for just a moment, but she pasted on a huge smile before grabbing a stick of dumplings and running over to where he had paused. "Father, can I feed your horsey?"

Ikaika sneered at the thought, roughly snatching the dumplings from her hand and eating them himself. "You don't waste good food on filthy animals." Her smile faltered for a moment.

Kuma stood and walked over. Karmen watched her proud "father" shrink in his saddle, ever so slightly. The warlord reached up a big pawed hand and fished in the collar of his jacket. When his hand lowered it holds a shiny red apple. He gave it to Karmen and nodded towards the slave. "Thank you, Kuma," she said happily. She held the apple under the slave's mouth and he ate gratefully. He only left the stem in her hand. "Father, if you don't feed your horsies you'll have to get another one again."

Ikaika had given Kuma a nasty look, but kicked his mount forward without further comment. It had been a pleasant evening to see Ikaika afraid, but things turned as soon as Kuma left the island. The horsey had been dead by the end of the week.

Now as the face of the Celestial Dragon becomes undeniable she places a hand on Zoro's arm to get his attention. "Ignore everything I'm about to say and follow my lead. If you must speak, use 'my Lady.' I'm going full Usopp." He raises an eyebrow but doesn't question her. He sees her watching the burdened slave struggle under the man's weight and understands.

Karmen remains standing as everyone around them kneels. Zoro crosses his arms and observes. When the noble is nearby, Karmen drops her veil and hood and steps forward. It takes her a moment to force herself to remember how to use a pleasant tone, especially since the sight of his processions just makes her want to stab him. "Maurice, dear, how are you?"

The Dragon is surprised by her approach, but he clearly recognizes her. "Why, Miss Gallowcomb. Your father said you had run off and become a pirate. I've even heard reports that you were dead."

Karmen laughs loudly, amused. "Just a few assassins, dearie. Nothing to worry about. Father's gone and believed the wrong story again. You didn't actually believe that I was a pirate, did you?" Maurice is confused, so she explains. "I send father stories when I leave home to make things more interesting. If he thinks I'm a pirate then it means he believed the wrong one again. No, silly. I'm on a business trip. I _hired_ pirates as bodyguards. Not being from one of the main branches of the Celestial Dragons people always think I'd make a good kidnapping target. I figured who better to protect you from criminals than criminals themselves, right? And I just _love_ how ruthless they can be."

"You always did enjoy odd company," Maurice laughs. "Where's your mount?"

"I needed to stretch my legs so I left it on the ship. I was on my way to the manor to pick up my bubble suit so I wouldn't have to breathe this filthy air. That's why I was wearing a veil." She leans down, lifting the slaves matted hair out of his face, and examines him closely. "Jeez, Maurice. I know you have money to throw away. Couldn't you prevent your mounts from getting scurvy? What are you feeding him? Surely you didn't buy him like this?"

"I'll just buy a new one. We're on our way to the bidding houses."

"Then let me make sure you make it there. I wouldn't want you to have to walk." She removes an apple from one of the bubble pouches she'd been leading behind her and produces her knife from her sleeve. She cuts two large slices from it and feeds them to the human horse. He inhales them and ends up coughing. "Foolish mount," she sneers. "At least sit up when you eat."

Cleaning her hands and knife with a handkerchief, she pulls her second bubble bag towards her. This is the one with an apple on a plate with a small spray bottle nearby. "Did you know, Maurice? Father's put me in charge of starting an apple orchard. This is one of our finest yields yet. We only ship our premium line to nobles such as ourselves. You should try it." She cuts the apple and wraps the core in the handkerchief. She sprays the wedges with the bottle's contents. "Lemon juice, for purity," she explains before handing him the plate.

Maurice takes a bite of a wedge and speaks with his mouth still full. "These are delectable, Karmen; just what I would expect from the great Gallowcomb family's line of production. Your slaves must work themselves to the bone for you, as they should. Your mother must have given you her talents for keeping them in line."

"Uncle Ludovic is the main enforcer, actually," she says. "You know how he loves dipping insubordinates into acid, extremities first. With him around I don't have to get my lovely hands dirty."

As they speak and Maurice takes breaks to eat more, Karmen works her way around the lines of chained and collared women he brought with him. They tremble at her touch, but she examines every one. "Your wives are well picked, Maurice. If you put them in fewer clothes, though, all your beloved attention will go to them instead."

He laughs. "Then it's a good thing you turned down all my proposals!"

"Oh, dearie. You know father has something arranged for me."

"How is that windbag fiancé of yours?"

"I'm hoping he starts circling the drain soon after the ceremony," she admits. "I'm only marrying him for his assets, after all."

Maurice laughs so hard that he chokes on the apple in his mouth. Karmen slaps him hard on the back a few times. His security guard yells "Hey!" and grabs her roughly by the wrist.

"Oh dear," she says in a soft, serious tone. "Good help is so hard to find. Maurice, perhaps you should spend less money replacing mounts and more on security who know their place. Wouldn't you agree, Zoro?"

Maurice turns to find Zoro with all three swords drawn against his own guard. One sword is poised at the man's throat, another threatens to slice through his wrist, and the sword in Zoro's teeth is poised to pierce the man's heart. "Shall I kill him, my Lady?"

"You've heard of my bodyguard, haven't you, Maurice? He's the infamous pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro." The nobleman's guard recovers enough to gently release her wrist.

Maurice frowns at the situation. "I have and you're right. The man's a fool. Do whatever you want with him. I can buy another."

Karmen smirks cruelly at the guard and speaks with the voice of a venomous serpent. "My, my. You don't seem to have made your services valuable to your master. Zoro, dear, I don't want blood on my clothes before we go shopping. Let him live in shame and grovel to keep his job. Mother loves watching them grovel before shooting them in the head."

"As you wish, my Lady." He sheathes his swords skillfully and stands in a protective radius by her shoulder for further instructions. The guard scurries back across the ground and stands amongst the slaves. It was a cruel way to reveal the truth to the poor man, but now he knows how little Celestial Dragons value anyone but themselves. Perhaps he'll find himself a job that pays a little less but with more appreciation for years of hard work.

Maurice observes the swordsman cautiously. "He's one of the pirates you hired?"

"That's right." She steps around Zoro, tracing her fingertips across his shoulders. "He's the first mate aboard the ship and the head of my protection detail. I figured that if a bodyguard is going to follow me around everywhere I go then he might as well be ruggedly handsome. He's not quite trained for high society yet, I'm afraid. He spends too much time arguing with the cook." She pats his cheek affectionately. "Well, I've kept you long enough. I'm afraid you'll miss your auction if I hold you up any longer. It was lovely to see you again."

They say their final goodbyes and the noble departs. Karmen and Zoro stand in the middle of the road until he and his party are out of sight. Karmen groans loudly and leans back against Zoro's sturdy frame. "That creature is so ostentatious. My cheeks hurt from making those awful expressions. How does Willow do it all the time?" She turns around and puts a hand on his chest. "Thank you for putting up with that."

He grins down at her. "Ruggedly handsome, my Lady?"

She reverses her hand and smacks him. "You're pushing it, bodyguard." Chuckling, she steps away from him and lifts her hood back over her head.

"What did you slip all those slaves?"

"Oh. You noticed that?" She grins over her shoulder at him and holds up a small velvet pouch that jingles softly. "Skeleton keys to their chains and exploding collars. I stole them off Willow at Itluk Manor."

"And the apple?"

"Hydrangea, or Hills-of-Snow. Just a little something to cause dysentery. That man is going to be on the toilet for a week. He's lucky he's a noble and gets waited on 24/7. It would kill him without constant hydration."

"You can be downright scary sometimes. You know that?"

Smiling, she pins her veil back over her face. "I'm a pirate secretary. Would you expect anything less?" She looks around and finds all the citizens still kneeling. "Didn't you hear? The Gallowcomb girl is dead. She fell off a cliff a few days ago. I'm just a pirate who looks like her. Get up already!" She sighs. "This is why I cover my face in places like this."

"Well, anyway. You wanted to go to the amusement park, right?"

"Yeah. I'll buy you some beer on the way."

"Sounds good to me."

In the back of the confused crowd a pirate chuckles softly. A large man standing in the shadows of a nearby alley smiles and watches them depart.


	47. Chapter 47: Sabaody Nostalgia

Zoro finishes his beer as he and Karmen reach the entrance to Sabaody Park. He cocks his head at all the rides while Karmen's eyes sparkle over her veil. "Why didn't you just go with Luffy and the others?"

"Luffy draws too much attention. Nobles and kidnappers would have noticed me for sure." She sighs just thinking about what trouble the captain was causing.

Zoro looks at the roller coasters before following her gaze to the Ferris wheel. "Alright. We'll ride the wheel first."

"We can't!" she yells.

"Why not?" he shouts back in shock.

"It breaks tradition." She holds up a finger to make sure he's paying attention. "When I was little I had a friend who would bring me here. He was so tall that he couldn't get on many of the rides and when he could we couldn't sit in the same car. We would always ride the Ferris wheel together, though. The cars on it are a little larger than the others. He would cram himself in at the bottom but by the time we got to the top he could poke his head out of the bubble. He would always bribe the conductor to stop our car for a full minute at the very top and set me on his shoulders so I would have the best view on the whole island."

"This place is pretty special to you, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is."

"So if the wheel is last, where do we start?" he asks.

"The horror show," she croons. "Getting scared first makes the whole park better in the long run."

"You're way too happy about that kind of thing," he says, frowning at her.

She winks. "Think of it as a test of courage."

"Lead the way, secretary." His face becomes fierce and the muscles in his arms flex as he crosses them. He makes it through the show without flinching. Karmen thinks she only sees him blink a few times while she yelps and jumps with her favorite scares.

They go to the tower drop next. Zoro notices her eyes looking up at the top of the Ferris wheel again before they plunge downward. When she opens her eyes at the bottom she sees Zoro grinning at the adrenaline rush. He guffaws when they go on the swinging ship and her skirts slap her in the face as they turn upside down. She convinces him to put his hands up on the roller coaster hills and they laugh when they get off and see that the park cameras snapped a picture when her veil had flown over her eyes, showing just her chin. He wins a stingray plushy from a game stall and gives it to her, saying he's not into collecting cute things. She shows him the trick to knocking down the rigged bottle set.

Finally, they make their way to the line in front of the Ferris wheel. "If you lean any further forward you'll drop your cotton candy," Zoro says. "Why do you like it so much anyway? Just the view?"

Karmen has crushed the paper stick in her hand and her cotton candy leans precariously to the side. Her other hand is firmly strangling the ray. "It's just so… so-" She can't bring herself to say "romantic" so she settles for "free and beautiful, up there. When you're a kid it's just about the height, but as a woman it's about the view and company." She hugs her ray and takes another bite of the candy, saving it from tumbling to the ground. She eats the rest quickly so that she won't lose it.

"Wait here. I'll throw away the stick for you." He disappears briefly and returns with a smile. "It's almost our turn." They reach the carriage and settle into the bench. Karmen sets the ray in the seat next to her and holds her knees happily. As they started to rise, Zoro looks at her. "So the slave with the guy in the bubble suit from earlier isn't the guy you were looking for, right?"

She shakes her head, calming down a little. "I knew it wasn't Pierce but…"

"But you still had to look." He nods. "I understand."

"When we cross to the New World, we'll reach Galaval Island in only a few weeks." She unpins her veil and pushes back the hood. The car reaches the top and she looks over her shoulder at the distant Red Line. She turns back and looks out to the vast ocean. "Once I know he's safe, I can live my life for myself and find my own dreams."

"Is there something you want to do now, even though we haven't helped him yet?"

She thinks. "I know I want an apple orchard, somewhere far away from places like this. I want to breathe free air and not live under Gallowcomb's shadow." She looks over at Zoro as the carriage makes its first pass over the base.

"So repay your debts, grow lots of apples to poison, and make new dreams. It sounds like a plan," he says. "Are you going to stay with us when it's all over?"

"If Nami can grow tangerines on a ship then I can grow apples. I mean, I'm sort of doing it already." She smiles at him and pulls up the sleeve of her left arm. Just above the poisons' harness, the "X" tattoo is visible. "Once a pirate, always a pirate. I can't see myself ever leaving our crew." She drops her sleeve. "Thank you for bringing me here. I don't think I would have been able to relax on this archipelago if you hadn't been with me."

It was true that she had been secretly using him as a kind of bodyguard knowing that even injured he could slice up most of the people that usually frequent this island. He'd probably guessed her motivation the second she joined him, but he was nice enough to be abetting. It wasn't as if they didn't enjoy each other's company. Deep down she knows that she'd never really faced any nobles or high ranking government officials by herself in her previous life. Pierce, Godwin, or Kuma had always been with her. She wonders if she'll ever be self-reliant in the future. Either way, she is very thankful for Zoro's presence. With his support she'd even felt comfortable mildly poisoning a Celestial Dragon, and she can't say that she hasn't been enjoying her time away from the ship. In fact, she'd _really_ enjoyed poisoning Morice, probably more than she should, and the theme park wasn't half bad either. She was almost as calm and comfortable here with Zoro as she'd been with Kuma as a child. Safe with friends, free as a pirate high above the ground, she thinks happily.

Zoro seems to understand and accept all of this without her breathing a word of it. "Then let's enjoy the ride and forget about everything else for a while," he says. He grins as the carriage comes to a full stop at the top of the wheel. "It's the best view on the island, right?"

Karmen's hands slide up to cover her mouth as realization dawns on her. "You bribed the conductor."

"It would be a shame to break tradition." She stands and he stands next to her. "Does this make up for me not making it to the ballroom in San Faldo?"

"That and more. You don't have to lift me up. You're still injured. But this… This is perfect." The car is still rocking slightly, so Karen steadies herself by holding his arm. Entranced by the view, she forgets to let go. She looks back out at the ocean and watches the sun shimmer over the waves and the water curving over the horizon. For a brief moment she's a child again, feeling the weight of the Gallowcomb name roll off her shoulders. Free. Zoro just smiles and enjoys the view with her. When the wheel jerks back into motion they wobble briefly and sit back down. Karmen holds onto his arm for a moment longer, leaning close to his ear and whispering "Thank you" before kissing his cheek softly. When the carriage reaches the platform again after another pass and comes to a halt, she is once again the veiled pirate secretary.

They leave the park with few words and walk slowly through the crowded streets. "So how much older was this childhood friend of yours?" Zoro asks.

"He was around Ikaika's age, so he'd be in his 40's now, I think."

"How often did you come here?" His casual conversation is calming.

"Two or three times a year. It was one of the only times I got to be away from my family and the awful things they did," she said. "I think he liked the Ferris wheel because it faces away from Marineford and other government settlements. He hates the world government and I hate aristocrats, so it was a minute of freedom for both of us."

"I'm glad you had at least one good influence as a child. I might have killed you if you'd turned out like that celestial guy you poisoned earlier," he says. "Heck. If you hadn't been there I probably would have killed him anyway."

She smiles dryly, remembering all the times she'd considered it herself. "Killing a few nobles won't change how things are run, no matter how high up the bloodline they are. You have to cripple their ideology for the world to see and make sure they have no chance of reverting back to what they were. That's part of the reason I admire people like Luffy's father and other pirates like us. It's not about rules and customs, it's about morality and doing what's right, even if the people with authority don't see it that way."

Zoro chuckles. "You would think like a revolutionary."

She hums softly. For all she knows it could be in her blood. "I've always been a rebel. So was he. Maybe one of these days we can all sit down and have tea together. I'm sure he's still hanging around the neighboring islands." She almost adds that they had already met him, but she isn't quite ready for that conversation yet, especially since he had been the one to leave Zoro half dead in Thriller Bark to test his loyalty. Half dead, however, is not dead, dead. Maybe when Zoro has more time to heal... "It would certainly be interesting."

"I'm sure I'll like any friend of yours."

Karmen gives a clipped laugh. "Remember that you said that. You might regret it later."

He cocks his head at her. "Why? What kind of friends do you have?"

Bartholomew Kuma and Dracule Mihawk, amongst others, she says to herself. "People who started out a lot like we have, I think." She looks at the bubbles rising from the ground and trees as they walk, swinging her ray. "People who don't take much crap and have strong morals with the strength to back them up."

"You're right. They do sound like us."

Karmen sees someone in a nearby crowd. Speaking of people she's relatively acquainted with… "I have a few things I'd like to think over on my own, so I'm going to let you go on ahead," she says. "You do remember what grove we docked at, don't you? Grove 41?" As she says the number laughing children run by, drowning her out.

"Of course I remember," he says in tired annoyance. "Eh, tree 1." But when he confirms the number two bubble bikes collide nearby, drowning out the words. Since "eh, tree" and "forty" have similar shapes on the lips, she assumes he actually won't get lost this time. Honestly, she should have known better, but her mind is on the other person.

"Alright. See you back at the ship," she says. She fidgets with her poisons harness until he's out of sight and then approaches Basil Hawkins of the North Blue. "Hello, scarecrow, dear. How much do you charge for a reading?" His men seem suspicious of her so she adds, "We both know that at my level I have no hope to do you any harm. I'm here for a simple inquiry for a fellow Northie. I'll even leave my sea prism weapons holstered." She holds up her hands palm out in a sign of friendliness and smiles in a way that shows in her eyes. Being an alleged psychic, she wouldn't be surprised if he could peek behind the veil, so to speak. "So? Price?"

There is a pause as he observes her, unblinking. "I'll let fate decide that afterwards." His lack of eyebrows makes it difficult to judge his expression, so she's not sure if he's making a joke or not, but several strands of straw raise to hold up a deck of tarot cards. "The chance of you falling into a love triangle is-"

Karmen presses two fingers against the card he is reading and pushes it out of his line of sight. " _That_ is _not_ my question," she says firmly. He waits patiently for her to reverse her action, but the slight twitch of muscles in his face suggests he doesn't like people touching his cards. She withdraws her hand. "What chance do I have of finding my real father?" she asks.

He reshuffles his cards and draws a fresh set. "None," he says. "But there is a 94% chance of him finding you."

Psychics, she sighs in her head. Kuma would probably frown at her even consulting one, seeing as he always carried a giant purple bible. Right now, though, she doesn't care. "And my mother?" Her voice is a little quieter. Hawkins' crew looks at her like a lost orphan, which is how she's felt for a few days.

He draws a fresh set. "There is a very good chance that you are fated to cross paths, however there is a 70% chance that there will be a death before you meet." Don't ask, her rational mind says. Knowing never makes things better. The larger part of her brain demands to know whose.

"So she's alive then," she says instead, keeping the relief she feels out of her voice and posture.

"For now," is his response. "Would you like to know anything else?"

"What chance is there that I will kill the man who raised me?" This surprises his men, but now Hawkins. She's not quite the lost orphan they'd interpreted. Their reaction surprises her slightly, since they're all wearing black robes and bulky cross necklaces like some kind of cult. For all she knows, they are.

He shuffles and draws. "Twelve percent." Part of her believes the number is still too high to be comfortable with. Part of her knows there are plenty of ways to make it run sky high.

"Very well," she says. "Name your price."

"A coin and a name."

Blank surname Karmen, her brain says. She digs out a large coin. He'd been more than cordial with his ragdoll range of emotions, so 50 berries seems like a fair price for keeping things peaceful. "Valentine W. Karmen." This is her name. Not because it was given, but because she chose it. When her father finds her and she learns his name, assuming he does, she can decide if she wants to claim it as her own or let it fizzle out into the oblivion it's been hiding in. "Thank you." She points a finger at one of his men. "Love the crosses by the way."

She gives them a nod and departs. Dad will find me, I'll at least get to meet mom. The thoughts bounce around in her mind so much that she doesn't pay much attention to where she's going. She walks around a tree to come face to chest with a polar bear in a worker's jumpsuit. "How do I know you, Scarlet Secretary-ya?" comes a voice to her right. Karmen looks over at a fuzzy spotted hat and a sword. The hat raises until Trafalgar Law's face is visible. He's more handsome than Doflamingo had described him and she finds his tattoos interesting. Actually, Doffy had described him as the "Pretty Boy" type, but handsome fits him much better.

She looks at him, then at his sword, then back to his hat, at his bear, and then back at him. We've been dancing around each other's lives for years, but we've never met, she wants to say. "You don't," she actually says.

"But you know me," he says with that very intentional, certain gaze of his.

"By reputation," she admits. "We're both from the North Blue, after all. But if you mean why you caught my eye earlier… I like spots." She looks up again. "And bears."

"Good tastes," he says with a grin. "I've read a little about you. You just show up on the radar at Enies Lobby but are reported to have no ties to the Straw Hats, Franky Family, or Galley-La. So my question is this: Who are you affiliated with and who's trying to cover it up?"

"Hmm. I wonder," she says, feigning boredom. "If that's all you wanted then I'll be on my way. I've got people to see." She steps around the bear and sets her reversing observation Haki to max in the brief moment she's out of sight as she walks away. She walks quickly and quietly.

"Room." Karmen finds herself standing back in front of Law. Strong observation Haki, she observes. She'd been developing a trick to deal with situations like this. She hadn't been sure it would actually work, but this is as good of a chance as any to test it out. She unfades. To his crew it seems like she appears out of thin air and several jump. "Interesting trick." Handsome, entitled, and dangerous, the worst kind of annoying.

Her lips purse, her arms cross, and her hip pops for that little effect it has on men. She reaches up and adjusts her veil, more to make sure he hadn't ferried it off her face than out of a need. "Don't you know that you're supposed to wait a full twenty-four hours before calling a lady back?"

"You didn't answer my question," he says. Something fast, she thinks. I need something fast. Her eyes scan the area around them. Beneath her feet she can sense arrow shrimp. Those will do perfectly.

"I gave you the only answer you're going to get," she says, picking a canister off her belt. "Sync. The dead don't tell tales, dearie." Popping the tab would disperse the gas too slowly. She stabs it with her metal quill. The gas disperses all at once into a red cloud. When she's enveloped she creates a Karmen shaped web of Haki within the cloud. Haki is all about perception, she tells herself. She had gotten the idea from Nami's mirages. If she could trick others with strong Haki into believing she was somewhere she was not, she could create distractions or make an escape. She'd practiced this while Willow had rambled on and on in Baldwin's manor. It is not perfected by any means, but the two sources of life energy would confuse any observation Haki long enough for her to get away.

Synchronized with the shrimp, she matches their speed and darts far away before he can throw up another operating theater. She doesn't stop until she's at a seemingly run down pub. She collapses and lays on the moss for a while. Her nose is bleeding slightly and her legs feel like they're going to fall off. The Second Soul technique, as she decides to call it, takes a lot of mental effort and her body is not yet capable of running this fast for this long without painful consequences. Train it so you can rescue Pierce, she tells herself, forcing her body to push itself off the ground. She walks up the hundred stairs, goes inside, and sits down at the bar. The tall, dark haired woman turns to her and smiles. "Shakky, right?"

The woman nods, expunging a cigarette in the process. "We don't see many guests like you," she says with a knowing smile. "Some of your friends were in here earlier. They're sure to turn up eventually if you want to wait." The tall woman leans across the counter. "But that's not why you're here, is it, Karmen?"

Karmen lowers her veil and hood. There's no point in hiding things from people like her. "I hear you're the person to speak to if you want to set up your own information web."


	48. Chapter 48: An Uncertain Future

Karmen and Shakky are still talking when the rest of the crew arrive. Well, Shakky is talking and Karmen is taking furious notes in her personal log. Nami and Usopp fill her in on the events of the auction house. Luffy had punched Saint Charloss, Usopp had flattened Saint Roswald, and Rayleigh had Haki punched Saint Shalulia. How many times growing up had she wanted to do those exact same things? How many times had she thought that if she was anything like Ikaika she would have killed them years ago, to hell with the consequences? How many times had she hated herself for having those thoughts? And yet here was her beloved captain. He'd burst in without an ounce of fear and did in five minutes what she couldn't do in nineteen years.

Had they said Grove 1? Karmen quickly draws a toothy smiley face with a slash through it in her log and shows it to them. "The auction house… Did it have this symbol anywhere on it?" she asks. Several crew members confirm it, though Luffy tilts his head in a clear sign that he doesn't remember. They had done serious damage to Doflamingo's auction house and Franky had given the slaves the keys to their collars. The warships would come, that much is certain, but Karmen cannot quell the joy rising up inside her. "Thank you," she says. All she can do is laugh. Raleigh and Shakky don't say anything as she sets her log down on the counter and pours herself a large shot glass of scorpion venom. She holds it up and toasts everyone. "This is the best news I've heard in two years." She downs her venom in one shot, much to Rayleigh and Shakky's surprise. Within a few minutes her cheeks are rosy. They seem to understand what she's not saying as to why she's happy about the news that terrifies everyone else.

Why in the world had she dread coming to these mangroves? In her core, she can feel the world beginning to turn in the right direction. She looks to Luffy, her catalyst. Where would she be if not for this meathead? Karmen hugs him, then Usopp, then Franky, and shakes Rayleigh's hand. "I know I'm reacting to this weirdly," she says, though she sees Robin give her ever knowing smile. "I ran into those people a lot growing up and to hear that someone finally gave them a little payback... You all make me so happy. Thanks again." She goes to pour herself another celebratory glass but Chopper swipes her poison and returns it to her bag. Karmen shrugs and hands her glass back to Shakky.

Sanji pops up in the bar stool next to her. "Thank me all you like," he says hopeful to at least get a hug out of the deal.

Instead Karmen pulls out an apple from her bag and presses it into his hand. "Here. I promised you one of these."

He blinks at it and then smirks. "This is indeed high thanks from our lovely secretary," he says happily. "I will cherish every bite."

"Careful there, Curley Brow," Zoro says. "You're getting dangerously close to poetry." The glare that passes between them threatens a fight, but Karmen's soft laughter diffuses the situation.

She looks over at their hosts and runs her fingers over the embroidery of the veil in her hands. "I guess I should explain myself, since you've given us so much help," she says.

"We know who you are," Shakky says. "The whole Gallowcomb residence is in an uproar because of you."

Well that simplifies things. Points for the dead girl. "Just so long as you remember that I'm supposed to be dead," Karmen says with a wink.

"Your father would be proud to hear it," Rayleigh says.

Karmen freezes. He knows, she realizes. He knows more than I do. I could ask. It would be so easy to ask. But… Basil Hawkins had said her dad would find her. She could wait patiently for that to happen and find out on her own. Well, perhaps patient was the wrong word, but she could wait for now. She smiles. At least they seem to think he's a decent person. That's a good sign. That bit of information will hold her over for now. "Thank you."

 _Tavern Note in Valentine's Personal Log_

 _-To be transferred to Ship's Log later.-_

 _We said goodbye to Shakky, Rayleigh, Hatchi, Keimi, and Pappug at the bar. Rayleigh says it will take three days to coat the ship and in the meantime we'll be splitting up to hide from the Admiral they send our way. We're all walking together for a while though. I just hope everyone knows the meaning of "laying low" *cough, cough* Luffy, *cough.* This island is unsettling for me, but I know it well. There are plenty of places that I can hide out in for these three days. I just hope they stay uneventful. Maybe if Kuzan is sent I can convince him to look the other way, at least for a day or two. The others… Let's just say my gut is telling me to keep a heavy fade. Either way, my veil isn't leaving my face for a good long while._

Something that looks an awful lot like a certain Warlord of the Sea lands in front of them as she puts the log back into her bag. Karmen knows it's not Kuma as soon as he lands in front of them. His hands hold the wrong shape inside his gloves. His hair is a tad too poofy. His jaw is set too deep in his face. There are several different factors that scream "not Kuma." Her brain translates. Pacifista. Questions flood her mind and freeze her feet. How many of Kuma's abilities did this creature have and what was its limits on how far it will go to capture a pirate? And there was another question. Did this being consider her a friend or a prisoner in the making?

The laser beam it shoots at her answers that question quickly. She syncs with Usopp's speed to dodge it. That man can move when he's scared to death. "My wanted poster says 'Alive Only' you crazy imitation!" she yells at it, pulling her quills. She's only recently killed herself and she'd like to stay only mostly dead. There's another thing, she thinks. This thing sees her as the Scarlet Secretary, not as a Gallowcomb. It's planning on capturing a pirate by any means necessary. Two can play at that game. Her hand moves to the Super Plucharon hanging from her wrist, but she hesitates. It's the last she has of this poison and she's saving that for Gallowcomb. She goes for Super Sunblade instead.

When all uncertainty is gone, only rage remains.

How. Dare. They.

Deep down she knows the government hasn't built these abominations as yet another slight to her, but it sure feels like it. How could they take the image of someone she loves and pervert it in such a manner? It's cruel, downright and simple. She glances at Sanji and thinks of all the people she'd seen Ikaika dealing with in the North Blue over the past nineteen years. He wouldn't know anything about what _that_ man was doing, but she wonders if he suspect it as much as she does. Maybe they should discuss it at some point, but not today. Not while fighting this… thing.

Except… according to her Haki, it is alive. It may not have a will of its own, but it had to have been born at some point. And this makes her angrier. How could they do something like this to a person? She observes it take blow after blow from the crew. It may have had a life once, but now it's just a weapon. A weapon with his face. She yells and stabs Super Sunblade into its kidneys from behind and runs out of the way before it can attack her. She keeps having to remind herself that it's not Kuma, but it still feels like she's attacked her friend. And when they finally knock the thing through a building her heart skips a beat. Her hands shake. If she ever meets Vegapunk, she's going to stab him with something nasty and painful.

From her first attack Karmen is able to assess that the abomination's circulatory system isn't normal and her toxins don't do much to affect it. Her anger at how wrong the creature is finalizes as it takes off its gloves to reveal not paws, but laser beam ports. She stabs more sunblade into it while it's occupied with trying to shoot Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. She can see the metal components fusing together with veiny red tendrils spreading across the sunblade wounds. She'd have to study the super sunblade's effect on metal later when her ears aren't ringing from laser beam explosions. She isn't surprised when the Pacifista gets back up or that it takes the heaviest hits the crew can manage to take it down entirely. She finds Luffy's Giant Rifle a very fitting end to the thing.

As the crew catches their breath she stands over the creature. This must have been Sentomaru's field. He heads the research department. She'd seen him at some of Ikaika's meetings in the North Blue. She always felt it was rude of him to hardly ever wear anything more than an apron. After hearing Ikaika comment on this to Willow she felt that she could have liked the man if it hadn't been for his relationship to the local ruling powers and for his pet project, the results of which is passed out on the grass in front of her. In another life she could have been at least friendly towards the man, but her hatred of him grew the longer she stared at the fallen creature. And on top of that, where Sentomaru was, Admiral Borsalino, or Kizaru as he was nicknamed, usually wasn't far behind. She never calls him Kizaru though. Nicknames are for people she respects.

An image is forming in her mind and she doesn't like what she's seeing. There should be a short time window before anyone else shows up. They're supposed to be dispersing anyways. Karmen steps over to Robin who looks concerned but knows better than to ask if she's ok. "I'm going to go ask Rayleigh a question. Will you all be alright if I do?" Karmen asks. Robin nods. "Stay safe." She darts off in full fade.

When she's half a mile away she pauses and leans on her knees, on the verge of a breakdown. It hadn't been Kuma. She keeps having to tell herself that, but they did a pretty good job of mirroring his image. They'd even copied the ears on his hat, the jerks. She'll stab them all if she gets the chance. But she doesn't have time for that now. She lifts her head and makes a noise like a frightened mouse. "Hello, hello," a slow voice drawls from the man who appears in front of her. "I'm looking for my nephew Sentomaru. Have you seen him?" The man is wearing a Navy officer's coat that hangs from his shoulders. He's so tall that Karmen feels dwarfed as she looks up into his lightly tinted sunglasses and his five o' clock shadow. Admiral Borsalino. Part of her tries to remember how he got the nickname Kizaru but she can't for the life of her remember it now. She's too busy trying to keep her knees from shaking. Almost without her realizing what she was doing, her hand lifts and she points in front of her to the right, away from her crew. An explosion sounds behind her to the left. She closes her eyes as he hums to himself. "You're the Scarlet Secretary, aren't you?" he drawls, never losing his friendly smile. He lifts his leg and it turns into pure light.

"Your Pacifistas seem to have forgotten that my poster says 'Alive Only,'" she says hopefully, or maybe just hoping to buy some time. " _You_ wouldn't harm a woman, would you? Sync?" She's not sure if this will work. It will probably kill her, but it may help her get away. All she's sure of is when she synchronizes with the Admiral the world begins moving in slow motion. Even the butterfly flying near her ear seems to hang in the air. She throws a sea prism feather and it sticks into his shin. While he's powerless she runs.

Going from zero to the speed of light, for lack of a better word, sucks. Karmen can feel her muscles tearing and her body breaking down at a rapid pace from the first step, but she's too scared to stop. There's no way the crew can take that out without Haki. They need help and there's only one person on the island that she knows is qualified to give it. She has to reach Rayleigh in time. Maybe, just maybe, Borsalino will focus on her. As long as she stays synchronized to his light speed attack he can't catch up to her, but he can chase her. She's sure he's ditched her dart by now. Chase me you scary jerk, she thinks. After a while, though, it's obvious he'd gone after a different target and she's pretty sure she knows who that is.

When she feels she can't continue running without killing herself she stops. Karmen collapses in a clearing and rips her veil from her face as she begins to cough up blood. She can't let a little run kill her. She stands up on shaky legs. She hurts everywhere and she's pretty sure it will take a week to recover from her little escape. She can feel herself wobbling, but doesn't have the presence of mind to know just how much. She coughs up more blood and starts forward, only to face plant into what seems to be a solid wall and falls back hard on her butt with a little grunt. She wipes her mouth and blinks up at the wall that happens to be a purple bible. Her eyes have a hard time focusing as she tries to take in the rest. Gloves, proper shape. Crosshairs coat. Spotted hat with ears. Mouth, perfect set. Stiffness, correct rigidity. "Kuma?" The real one. She knows instantly that this is her Kuma. Pain forgotten she stands and throws her arms around his waist and her breath hitches, threatening a sob. She grabs fistfuls of his jacket. "Help them. Please. Borsalino's gone after them. They're going to be killed. I can't reach Rayleigh like this."

A warm, pawed hand is placed on top of her head. "He's already on his way." In a rush of wind he's gone. Without his warm body to keep her upright Karmen falls to her knees. Her vision wavers heavily and darkness presses in. She feels like she's going to either puke or pass out. She isn't even sure how far she's run. She can't hear explosions anymore. It would be so easy to fall onto her side and let the darkness take her. Sea prism. You got sea prism to help deal with people like him, her brain whispers. She pushes back against the darkness. It had almost enveloped her vision completely.

The quill is still cold in her hand. Thinking quickly she levers a mushroom spore toxin into the chamber and stabs it into her leg like an epi pen. This toxin is one that she hadn't quite gotten used to yet. She'd only picked it up in the forest of Thriller Bark while Zoro was recovering. The effects close the capillaries and floods the body with oxygen. Prolonged effects cause the bends, much like deep water diving. She'll take whatever effects it gives her if it means she can walk. Karmen pushes herself off the ground as the poison begins to take effect and more blood spurts from her lips. It would reach her stomach and lungs soon and the internal bleeding would stop. Maybe using poisons as medicines isn't that bad of a plan for the future, she thinks. It may only work for her, but that could be looked into later. For now she's got to get back to the fight.

Despite her body's protest, she turns around and starts running again. She's no longer synchronized with the light speed kick, which is probably saving her life, so she syncs with a nearby bird and picks up some speed. Everything faster seems to have fled to the other side of the island or too far into the canopy for her to sense. It isn't long before she can hear the battle again. Earlier she must have been moving in slow motion as well because she had barely gone out of earshot from the battle before collapsing half dead. She passes the part where she'd encountered Borsalino and finds that her feather dart is gone. It would be wishful thinking to hope that it was still embedded in his leg.

She arrives back in time to see a Pacifista in the tree line aiming a laser at Usopp. No one else had seen him. It was up to her to stop it and save her friend. It still pained her to draw out the last of the Super Plucharon, but she fills her metal quills with it and synchronizes with Kuma darting around in the clearing below. She doesn't care about what damage she does to her own body as she runs forwards and stabs the monster in the back of the hand followed by whatever joints she can reach. The necrosis starts immediately, frying circuitry and corroding metal down to the bolts holding it together. It only takes a few seconds for all of its functions to cease. When it collapses and begins to decay rapidly, she sees the product stamp PX-5 on its neck. She wonders briefly if she's taken her first life, but decides that won't happen here. She finds viable skin and gives it an antidote. The pain inside her and the relief that the real Kuma was now bearing down on Usopp kept her from dwelling on the thought that she could have killed it. She'd saved her friend and that's all she would let herself focus on now.

Karmen leans against a mangrove root and coughs up more blood with a sudden jolt of pain. She should give herself the antidote soon, but not yet. Her hood had fallen around her shoulders long ago and her hair sticks to her face in clammy sweat. Two years of training like crazy and a run does her in and the toxin she'd been saving to save Pierce is gone. She realizes her quills are still dripping. She quickly grabs a bottle and manages to catch two drops. Two drops. Even the deadliest viper can wreak havoc with two drops. She feels a sliver of comfort in this thought. Venomous Shadow, The Scarlet Secretary. That's what they called her. She had been the Gallowcomb girl once, and now she'll be the ghost that haunts them into ruin. She may be on her own again for a little while, but at least she knows Kuma will ensure the safety of her crew.

She watches Kuma send her friends away one by one, vanishing with a soft pop with the contact of his pawed hand. She can't help but wondering if they would look so scared about it if she hadn't been so tight lipped about her past. Only Zoro seemed to understand that he was there to help. As Luffy's pained cries of the loss of his crew ring out through the grove, Karmen steps forward and begins walking towards them. Raleigh had fended off Borsalino long enough for Kuma to do his work and Sentomaru had decided to stand by and let it happen because deep down he knew he wouldn't be able to stop him. Kuma had gotten rid of the other Pacifista in the area. All that was left were her and Luffy. There was a soft pop and then there was only her.

She wants to stay as far away from the admiral, but she knows she's got a trip to take as well. She's still about fifty yards away when Kuma suddenly appears in front of her. Karmen wipes blood from her chin and smiles at him and speaks softly so their conversation remains private. "Thank you. I won't ask where you sent them. Too many ears," she says. "I wish we could have spent the day together like we used to. I've missed you so much." She sees the look on Borsalino's face and grimaces, stepping a little further behind Kuma. "I lost a feather dart to that guy. I don't know where it went. Oh well."

"It's here." Kuma holds out his bible and opens the cover. Laying on the first page is a sea prism infused metal feather. Karmen laughs softly as he holds it out to her.

"I want you to give that back to me one day, but not now. Keep it until I see you again," she says. Her lip trembles slightly. "I guess we're both in pretty deep water now, aren't we?" He kneels beside her to look her in the eye and she holds her left arm. "We could go get Pierce together. Ikaika wouldn't be expecting that. And that way I know that you'll…" She can't say anymore about the possible consequences of what just happened. "Basil Hawkins says I'm supposed to be able to meet my real family soon. Oh yeah, I'm not a Gallowcomb. Isn't it great? Doflamingo told me. I still hate him, but he can do something nice when he's trying to recruit someone. I mean, I'd never join him, but I… When I meet my real family, I want to tell them how much you did for me. I know you made a deal with the government for them to protect me. I want them to know you, so don't lose yourself, ok? For me?"

Kuma's large hand comes to rest softly on her head as the tears well in her eye. Like Karmen, it looks like there's so much he wants to say but with the company they have time and freedom of speech are limited. He settles for, "Don't hate Dr. Vegapunk."

Karmen scoffs a little. "Tall order for someone as short as I am," she jokes.

"Are you ready?" he asks.

She gives him a heartfelt smile. "I think I am. The next time you see me, I'll have my bodyguard back." She kisses his cheek and lets her hand linger on his face a moment. "I love you, Kuma. Promise me we'll see each other again." She'd never told him before this moment, but she was sure he'd always known. Even if she never found her real father, Kuma and Godwin had been enough. He nods and she spreads her arms wide. "Then I'm ready."

"They're back on Valcour," he says. Kuma's free hand pulls back. "No matter what happens, I'm proud of you." She feels the pop more than she hears it. She's flying through the air like she had two years ago when Kuma had rescued her the night before her eighteenth birthday and Pierce had been shot and captured. It was like her life was going full circle in reverse. They rescued her, now she would rescue him. When she finally lets herself think about everything that happened on the archipelago she remembers what Kuma had said to Luffy before he sent him on his way. "You'll never see me again. Farewell." And he had told her not to hate Vegapunk. He had blatantly betrayed the law in front of an admiral all because she had asked him to. No. Kuma would have helped them even if she hadn't asked. That's the kind of man he is. With his relationship to Dragon, he would have at least gone out of his way to help Luffy. The only reason he was in a tight spot now is because there hadn't been time to do it differently.

The other thing he'd said plants itself at the forefront of her mind. Ikaika had taken Pierce back to Valcour. Kuma hadn't asked her if she was prepared because he expected her to rush in. No. She had been working out the best way to infiltrate Galaval and Valcour island for the better part of two years. She'd kept abreast of Gallowcomb movements and partnerships and she even had an accurate count of how many guards and slaves were on the grounds. Shakky had filled her in on a lot. The woman knew her stuff. She gives herself the antidote to the mushroom spore toxin.

After a while Karmen's mind just runs in circles. She couldn't do anything until she lands and it had been dark for hours now. She was glad she'd picked a few apples before leaving the ship. Poisoned or not, they were food for her. Too bad she hadn't taken more from her workroom. She'd felt the pain from her escape from Borsalino for most of those hours after she'd gotten over the shock that Kuma might not be Kuma in the near future. Now the same darkness that had pressed in on her when she was surrounded by mangroves is pressing down on her with only the stars and a few bats as witness. She'll fly for three days and she has time to relax and let her body recover. She lets the darkness take her.

When she wakes she's on her downwards decent and is very hungry, always a good sign when it comes to healing. She's still sore, but she can move freely if she pushes past the pain. Chopper would probably tell her not to move and to bind her damaged limbs tightly, but she only has her dress...

Well, she was getting tired of the embroidered grapevines on her skirt anyway. She changes her mind at the last second, deciding to sacrifice her underskirt first. She rips it up and binds her sore body wherever she can. She spends a few minutes examining the state of the embroidered stingrays, mermaid purses, and apples that are now bound protectively around her. The embroidered straw hat had been spared and tucked into her bodice. It will serve as a reminder to where she'll be returning to. Karmen feels much better afterwards and eats one of her real apples. It's dosed with a scorpion venom from Alabasta. On a normal person it would make them blind for a week. Karmen takes another bite. When she's finished she drops the core, hoping she's over the ocean and that no one gets pelted in the head. Due to the cloud cover she's passing over she can't really tell.

Ten hours later the ocean approaches fast. Karmen takes a deep breath and breaks the surface, a paw shaped depression slamming into the water inches before her. Kuma must have miscalculated. She wonders if the others reached their destinations safely as the surface tension folds back in over her head. She sinks slowly to the shallow bottom, deciding it's better to figure out where she is before surfacing. On top of that, the cold water feels good against her sore muscles. Her feet touch sand and she rests for a minute, feeling the familiar and comforting strain on her lungs and sensing the area around her. She has barely started using her Haki when she realizes there's a heartbeat beneath her feet.

"Parvati?"


	49. Chapter 49: Invictus

_-Batoidea Island-_

A woman on a remote island sits on the beach and braids leather into rope. The morning sunlight shines down on her and the pool of acid wash she had tanned the leather in. Several other hides are drying nearby. The water near her bare feet is disturbed and a smooth, flat fish appears on the surface. The stingray is twenty feet across and thirty feet long with an intricately swirling pattern of stripes and spots on its back. With a flip of its fins, it spits an airtight bottle onto the shore and dives back into the shallow water, swimming back out to sea. Inside is a newspaper depicting the events of the battle of Marineford. Her hands clench the paper so tightly that it tears. The events had long since passed and the survivors had all gone back into hiding. The ray that delivered this must have passed several Sea Kings just to bring it to her. They surround the island, as they should, here in the Calm Belt. The only problem is, it sure makes it hard to go anywhere else. The woman throws the paper aside and picks up the rope, tying off the end she'd been working on and cutting the excess with a small dagger. She had hoped to treat it a while longer, but time has just been restricted.

Coiling several hundred yards of leather rope and a few dull metal hooks, meant for holding not for injuring. The woman stands and walks up an animal trail to a cliff overhanging a deep pool in the water. She throws the rope down on the cliff. "Granny Kudra!" she yells. There is a low rumbling from the water that shakes the island and something the size of a small island begins to rise out of the water. Waves roll off it, welling up with destructive force and slapping against the shore all the way up to the treeline. Soon, the swell breaks to reveal a giant stingray. It's dark brown markings and white spots can be clearly seen around the three rows of vicious spikes protruding in rows framing its spine.

The woman picks up one of the hooks and ties rope to it. "Something's come up and I've got urgent matters to tend to," the woman continues. "I can't leave until I prove I earn your respect, right, dearie? Well here I come." She'd had the best fish-riding teacher in the world until two years ago when he had been shot and killed in front of her. He had taught her everything he knew beforehand and she feels it would be an insult to his memory if she failed with her favorite fish, no matter how big this one was. There is another rush of water and the Sea King ray rears its tail and stabs the poisoned barb into the cliff where she was standing. The woman barely had enough time to jump out of the way. Still holding the hook, the rope trails behind her as she quickly leaps from her new perch directly at Granny Kudra.

* * *

 _-Several months later, somewhere in the North Blue-_

There is a mansion on Valcour Island. Rows and rows of grapes cover the surrounding five miles, fertilized with imported volcanic soil. Beyond this is what would seem like a small town to an outsider. To anyone who spent even a day in these few buildings, however, it would soon become apparent that all the smiling people therein serve those who live beyond the grapes. The real town of the island lies behind a smooth stone wall, thirty feet high and topped with iron pikes. There is only one official entrance to the lands within: a high, arching iron gate decaled with wine bottles and ropes. Two female goddesses face each other in the center and reach for the other as the gates open, embracing once again when they are securely closed. Unofficially, there is a trail leading down the cliffside and a pulley system used for sea cargo. All of these and a few key locations are heavily guarded.

New "servants" arrive once a week to replace the bodies thrown into the ocean, the mass graves long since filled. In these rows of chained and bomb-strapped people shambles one without restraint. She keeps her head down respectfully like the others and smiles warmly, taking small, careful steps as if her ankles are chained. As they approach the mansion, they are given varying uniforms to designate which duties they are to perform. The woman hangs back until the maid's outfit is pulled from the crate. When it passes into her hands, she notes the stiffness of an unwashed patch of dried blood left by the previous servant. The guard who gives her the uniform sees that there are no chains on her wrists or neck, but can't quite focus on her face. When he turns to raise his suspicions to his partner, he finds he's completely forgotten what he was going to say. When he hands off the gardener uniform in his hand to the next servant, he doesn't remember feeling perturbed at all.

Inside the mansion, as the people in various rooms discuss matters such as how the lady of the house has been absent for nearly half a year, they find that their surroundings have been cleaned to the desired perfection, and often beyond. Oddly, they do not remember anyone ever occupying the space with them. They do, however find invitingly warm cups of tea on a nearby table. It smells of honey and lilacs and has a pleasant taste of summer. After drinking, they settle themselves into nearby chairs or beds and take well deserved naps. By nightfall, there are only a select few people inside the manor and a few guards on the outskirts of the perimeter who are still awake, besides the servants, that is. A doctor with a severe burn on one half of his face and a tailor gather the servants from the small village and lead them to the side of the manor facing the cliffs, telling them and the guards who ask that the Lord and Master of these vast lands has ordered fitness assessment and new uniforms outside of work hours. Inside, pages carry sleeping people away from this side of the building.

There is no moon on this night and heavy clouds cover the stars. They coil and roll like venomous snakes threatening to multiply. That morning they had been a dark smudge on the horizon. Throughout the day they had encroached on the manor and now growl with menace, striking at each other with bright flashes of memory. At the wall, the night guard finds the gates have been fused shut, goddesses never to part again without brutal force. Red veins trace their way through the metal. An eerie quiet falls over the manor as the lanterns in the yard extinguish and the thousands of candles inside go out one by one.

In the study on the third floor, a middle aged man stands in front of a desk sipping wine. Hisk dark brown hair has been slicked back and a steady patch of gray is seeping up from the base of his neck. He has a thick moustache on his upper lip and wears thin half-framed reading glasses which he looks through at reports on his desk. Beside them sit a golden plaque reading Gallowcomb, E. H. I. His glass pauses at his lips as lightning flashes and all the candles in the room go out. He carefully sets the glass on the surface in front of him and turns slowly, taking off his glasses and discarding them with a carefree toss. Even in the dark his black eyes gleam with unhinged mallace. He sees only shadows. There is a flash from the window and one of the shadows becomes an ethereal woman in red.

"I knew you weren't dead." His voice is icy, not showing a hint of surprise. As she knew, he expected her to show up sooner or later.

"The woman you called daughter is dead." Karmen had imagined this meeting for two years, but now that she stands before him it's as if everything she'd planned had gone out the window. There is no anger or hatred. There is no fear or sadness. There's just an empty numbness, an empty hollow. She can deal with the nothingness. If anything, she felt tired and that this had been overdrawn. That's all that hangs between them now.

"You were never my daughter. I don't know why we ever agreed to the terms of that blasted government. I should have crushed your skull with my boot when they brought you to me as an infant. I'd love to have seen the look on your father's face. At least they aren't preventing me from killing you now, thanks to your own actions. Any use you may have had is no longer applicable. The deal is off." He scowls at her. "I should have worked harder on you as a child. I was so close to breaking you. Had that blasted bear not brought you his spy you would have made the perfect tool. For a few good years, you did. If only you'd been able to see how your father jumped and squirmed at the slightest request from the government when we threatened to harm you or your spy of a bodyguard." He chuckles darkly. "You'll never see your beloved drek again."

"I know exactly where Pierce is," she says, drawing two metal quills from her belt. They glow like blue steel in the lightning. "I came up here to deal with you. My captain gave me a long while to do what I will, and I decided that I wanted to take from you, like you take from so many." Two years to train and collect herself, if she had depicted his message correctly. Several parts of her are here on this island.

"If you think that pathetic congeries in the yard below will change anything you're more naïve than I thought. I'll simply kill them and buy more." So he had seen the slaves that Saaresto and Winston had gathered.

Karmen inhales slowly through her nose, her calm expression unwavering. "I realize that, which is why I'm following your example and sending them to the ocean." She levers a feather on each of her quills, filling them with a single drop of poison each. "I won't waste time telling you what I've been up to all this time. I'm sure you've heard rumors or don't care either way. Do you know what I learned most from watching you whip people to death in the basement? You enjoy hurting people. You love being drenched in blood that you've spilled with your own hands." Lightning flashes and Karmen synchronizes. He barely sees her move. Instinctively, he raises his hands to protect himself. "Scarlet Strike: Ultimate Necrosis." He doesn't feel the bits slice into his hands. They are already black and rotting. If it kept going, it would probably reach his heart and lungs before the poison ran out. With an anguished cry, she flicks new feathers and stabs his shoulders where black absence has already reached its dark fingers. The progression of the plague instantly stops. He feels the pain of dead flesh in his mid-bicep. "Consider yourself lucky, Gallowcomb. Because of you, I can't stand the sight of death. I leave you your miserable life, but you will never use your beloved hands to hurt anyone ever again."

She doesn't stay to watch the man she once called father collapse to the floor. She pockets her weapons and flies to the boiler room. Feeling for the echoing heartbeat beneath her feet with her Haki, she finds the hidden doorway almost immediately. Everyone hides secret rooms in the boiler room, Kuma had told her once. Ikaika and Willow are no exception. She turns a lever disguised as a pipe and it swings open. The damp smell of rot greets her. The stairs leading to the room below are stained a reddish brown from years of suffering. She can tell by the smell that she's about to ruin another pair of shoes in this basement. Her foot hesitates just for a moment with apprehension on what she'll find and then she plunges into the darkness.

There are thirty two steps to the bottom. The room is illuminated by two oil lamps mounted on the wall that flicker over several unmoving forms on the ground. Bodies. At least thirty of them. None of them are over three months old, but they've been laid in rows all across the floor. There isn't a man among them. It's just like Ikaika to prey on people who can't defend themselves and use their deaths to cause the suffering of others. Karmen has to step over carcasses of women and children to reach the far wall. The smell makes her dizzy and she's afraid she'll pass out if she breathes too deeply. Her stomach turns so violently that she's afraid to open her mouth. Are they all really dead? Maybe she can save at least one. She checks again. There is her heartbeat, one lose to the wall, and about thirty coming from a tub of electric eels to her right. She doesn't want to know what those were used for, but her imagination and knowledge of Gallowcomb paint a pretty clear picture. She can tell just by looking that all the bodies on the ground are stone cold. She turns to the source of the only one human heartbeat other than her own in the room which comes from directly in front of her. A misshapen form hangs from the wall from blue stone cuffs, blood-crusted toes dangling centimeters from the damp floor. Knife, whip, and burn wounds on his arms and torso fester and seep and one hip hangs at an inhuman angle.

She finds she can't breathe as she looks at this person. She nearly jumps when a pained grunt emanates from the man. His head rolls to the side a few centimeters. "I've finally died," he laughs weakly. "I can smell the flower fields of heaven opening up before me."

* * *

The guards who were still conscious that night all give similar reports to the government agents and reporters who came to investigate the incident on Valcour Island: All the servants are gathered on the cliff. Their chains and bombs have been removed and lined up on the patio. A half-dead man is carried out of the manor on a red mist. The ghost of Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen suddenly appears and orders everyone to jump off the cliff into the ocean, a fall sure to kill any who hit the water. Seeing the gold seal in her raised hand, however, everyone obeys instantly. The apparition puts on a red hood and veil and drags the dying man over the cliff. Some say they saw glistening stingrays ferrying their souls to the land of the dead. As they reach a certain distance out at sea the exploding collars on the patio detonate. When the ensuing fire is extinguished all the ghosts are gone. The only lingering trace that anyone unusual was on the grounds that night were the gates which had been fused shut, presumably with the vengeful fires of Hell, the arms that have to be amputated from Lord Gallowcomb's shoulders, a metal tipped quill stabbed into the dirt over a nameless butler's grave, and a set of bloody footprints leading off the cliff.

* * *

 _[Author's Note: First off, thank you all for reading this far and for all the wonderful reviews you've left for me. I'll be taking a short break from writing this story, but this is not the end. Some of you may be disappointed that the Straw Hats were not present for Pierce's rescue, but let me assure you that Karmen is not finished with the Gallowcombs by far and will rely heavily on them in the future. I know this last chapter may leave several questions and they will all be answered in future chapters. I need to focus on schoolwork for a while and make a few key plot decisions. I may also go back and rewrite some of the earlier chapters in the meantime. Thank you again for reading and being patient with me while I'm away.]_


	50. Chapter 50: Seeking Help

**[Author's Note: I am not officially back, but I've got things set up to where I will be soon. My posting schedule will not be as consistent as it was in the past because I will still have a very busy schedule. I know the last chapter left a lot of questions. I'm afraid this chapter answers very few. I look forward to seeing your responses as I continue to post and your guesses as to whom Karmen is seeking!]**

* * *

 _Valentine's personal log, day 1:_

 _It's been three months since I was sent from Sabaody Archipelago. I spent two months stuck on Batoidea Island and spent another month trying to figure out how to save my bodyguard. I have him. I finally have him. My dear, beloved Pierce. Friend and ally and now a broken shell of a man if Ikaika's words held any truth to them. I feel like he was being too cruel to be lying. I only hope that I can keep him with me, at least for a little while. I hardly recognized him yesterday in the shadows of the basement when I pulled him off the wall. I'm just glad Ikaika liked to dangle the key to the chains just out of Pierce's reach. The room smelled of death and torture and Ikaika. Or maybe it's Ikaika who smells of those things. I'm not sure I ever differentiated the two. He caused suffering while I was growing up and he didn't stop while I was gone. That much is obvious. It looks like there had been some sort of tally system marked horizontally into Pierce's skin using a whip, flail, knife, and maybe hot iron. When Ikaika had run out of space on his back he had moved to Pierce's arms and chest. There is still unmarred skin on his abdomen and legs, but there is hardly a human figure to be recognized at the moment._

 _There's something wrong with his eyes. They've been damaged, that's for sure. There's so much blood and infection crusting them shut that I haven't been able to assess the severity. They look so bad that I'm afraid to touch them. It's almost like something's trying to grow from them. The thought of his determined gray eyes kept me motivated when I was planning to rescue him. I pray they can be saved. Saaresto and I have stitched what we could and wrapped what we couldn't but there's hardly any skin to stitch. I've used deadbolt where I absolutely had to, but I'm afraid I'll stop his heart or lungs if I use too much. I tore what was left of my skirt, glove, and sleeve of my red dress to use as bandages. Being red, it was hard to tell where he was still bleeding through, which gave me a chance to get my panic under control._

 _Saaresto, my favorite, one eyed doctor, related the events of the past two years. Ikaika had kept Pierce on Valcour for a while, simply locked up and letting his bullet wound fester in the basement. When it became apparent that I was not to return he packed him into a cage and traveled to Galaval in the New World. He began torturing him then. At first it was one wound a week to keep track of time. He killed people in front of Pierce to try to break his mind. Women and children mostly. Pierce had told Saaresto that I had endured it for years and that cracking under the pressure and horrors inflicted upon him and the slaves would be a dishonor to my service._

 _When Ikaika had gotten bored of this he brought in the tank of electric eels. Pierce had been dunked into the tank three times a week and on three occasions his heart had to be restarted. Pierce had confided in Saaresto that he dreaded the eels more than any of the other tortures and begged the doctor to kill them, and on the third occasion, him. About a year into my absence Ikaika had met with Doflamingo who had provided a new prototype SMILE fruit which he had been eager to find a guinea pig for. They had forced it down Pierce's throat before Saaresto had a chance to substitute it for anything. They kicked the doctor out of the basement for three hours and when he was allowed to return Pierce was shackled to the wall in sea prism. His eyes had been attacked next, but Saaresto had not been on the island when this had happened and Ikaika had forbidden him from treating them. He wasn't sure of the damage there and the amounting damage to the rest of his body called for more dire attention. No matter what he had tried, Pierce's health had decreased rapidly with the increased ferocity of Ikaika's attacks after I had declared myself dead._

 _Saaresto said there was nothing more he could do for him and that he had other patients to treat, so I set out alone with Pierce in tow. I wish Chopper was here. He'd be able to do something. I studied so hard to find out how to not kill people with my poisons. I wish I had given a little more attention to how I could use them to save a life. There's so much bleeding and infection. Saaresto sent me with plenty of bandages made from the old uniforms of the slaves, but they soil quickly. They smell like the basement I pulled him from. It's like death is hovering over his body, letting me build my hope while waiting for the cruelest moment to rip him from me once again. He needs a doctor, which I am not. I just hope the man I'm looking for is still in the area. I don't care what I have to pay._

 _I'm writing this from the back of Parvati, the undulate stingray I raced years ago. She's just as fast as I remember and she's gone off and had children like I had hoped. Kuma sent me to her and her mate, which I've named Raja, in the waters surrounding an island which they use as their breeding ground. He's faster than Parvati, which I find hard to believe. His markings are darker than hers, but he's an undulate all the way. I've been staring at them so I don't stare at the blood and pus seeping into the poor bandages I've wrapped Pierce in. He looks like a mummy. If it wasn't for his ragged breathing I would think he was already dead. I'm afraid to touch him. He looks so fragile. I don't know if there's anything left to break. There's only one power that can save him now. I just hope I catch him in a good mood._

 _From my brief encounters with him before I know that he can't be worse than Mother Kudra, the Sea King Stingray that forbade me from leaving Batoidea Island for forty days after I splashed down. She felt I had disturbed the breeding grounds and a mother is territorial and protective. I don't know how, but I knew the only way to gain her respect was to prove that I was capable of riding her. Being friends with Parvati helped. To be honest I spent the first month making a harness and running around the island synchronizing with faster and faster things just so my body could keep up with the speed of Kudra's tail. Something the size of an island shouldn't be able to move that fast. I had half a mind to use light poisons on her to calm her aggression, but I wanted to honor Godwin's memory. A fishrider should face an ocean challenge head-on and without restraint. That's the type of rider he taught me to be. I may not be able to fight head-on without almost dying, but I have won the gold in several riding competitions. I'd set my pride against her prejudice any day._

 _As I said, it took forty days and three broken ribs to successfully ride her. I tied myself to her back, resolved to stay there or die trying. She was a fair competitor and didn't use cheap tricks like trying to drown me. That might have been on Parvati's request. I love that ray. She did, however, try to crush me with her tail, body, and fins, throw me into an active volcano, wash me off in a rip tide, and use me as bait for giant sharks. Or maybe the sharks were just hungry and would have been happy with either one of us. It's hard to tell with predators with teeth as big as you. Somehow I managed to stay on her back for two weeks. For a while I thought she'd forgotten I was there, but she responded to my rein movement and commands, even though I looked like the world's most wrinkled sea prune. I had brought supplies, but I was hungry, wet, and sunburned. In the end, I did something I've never heard of any other rider accomplishing. I gained the respect and formed a bond with a Sea King in two months whereas it takes most a year or more. She had Parvati bite both my shoulders with her multiple rows of sharp teeth and I rubbed red dye into the wounds to turn them into circular tattoos. This is a sign of a life bond between a rider and fish. I think Godwin would be proud._

 _Mother Kudra is with me now, but the trip to Valcour took her too far away from her precious children. She wants to stay in the Calm Belt. I can feel her circling beneath us, giving us momentum from the water just short of starting a whirlpool. Though I love that ferocious giant, Parvati and I are far more compatible. With my observation Haki we move in flawless synchronization. And where we're going, Kudra would have attracted the attention of Sea Kings loyal to dangerous people who I'd like to avoid. Or, one dangerous Warlord, to be exact. That's the area where my informants say he is. I have to think of a way to thank Shakky for keeping my network going, even if most people think I'm dead… again. If that man isn't here in the calm belt and I lose Pierce again, I may have to show Gallowcomb what it's like to encounter the insane dead. On second thought, I'll probably be showing him ghostly vengeance no matter what happens to Pierce. I would prefer him to be by my side for it, though. He deserves a chance to even the score. I wonder if, after all he's been through, if he's still afraid of taking a life._


	51. Chapter 51:Surgery in a Yellow Submarine

Trafalgar Law sits around a table with three crew members in his submarine, shuffling a deck of cards. "Alright guys," he says. "Winner gets chore immunity for a week."

"Deal me in, would you? And is that wine? Pour me a glass. It helps with my poker face."

After dealing another hand Law does a double take. "Gallowcomb?" For lack of a better word, she looks a mess. Her hair has been tossed into a tight ponytail that frizzes at odd angles. She wears short black shorts, brown leather knee high boots, a munitions belt stocked with silver canisters, and the leather poisons harness on her wrist is clearly visible and half empty. All that is left of the dress he had seen her in on Sabaody is the torso which has frayed ends where the fabric had been ripped. She smells slightly of salt water, fruit, and… Law sniffs. Infection?

"Figured that out, have you? Whatever you're thinking you're wrong. She's dead. It's Valentine now." Karmen sits stone-faced, waving a glass of wine under her nose but not drinking it. "You helped Captain Luffy after he almost died at Marineford, right? Thanks for that." Her eyes glance up from her cards. "How is he?"

"He's fine, physically," Law says. He glances at a monitor on the wall. There are five, but he focuses on the one listing the position of the submarine in comparison to the surface. The number steadily increases. "We're 5,000 meters under. How long have you been on my sub?"

"Since before you left that last island. I've been following you for a while though. I had to make sure I wasn't interrupting anything and you weren't meeting with someone that I find… unpleasant."

"And why didn't my guards notice you?" He glares past her at select crew members who have taken precautionary martial arts stances around her. His piercing gaze doesn't reflect the false amusement playing on his lips. Or maybe he thinks a fight would be interesting. It's hard to tell.

"Don't blame them. I have ways of going unnoticed, even more than I had on Sabaody." She finally sets down the wine glass. "Do you know how much training it takes to sneak past Sea Kings with electro-sensors in their noses?"

Law scowls, but seems mildly interested in her small display of skill. "Well you obviously aren't here to steal from me, so what do you want?"

"Information, for starters." She sets the cards down. The Joker card is suddenly on the table, face up. "Sync. How is your Doffy hunt coming? He's been pretty adamant in recruiting me for his Trebol family."

"Takt." A rapidly emptied chair flings itself into the wall. The crew stares dumbfounded at the lack of a body. Law slides his gaze to his left where a metal quill is poised at his bicep.

"I said he'd tried to recruit me, not that I'd accepted. And before you try that again you should know that there is a Sea King stingray tailing this ship who will ensure that you never surface again if something should happen to me. Trust me, getting hit by her tail really sucks. It can crush rock and probably tear through metal. And I don't want to poison you or your crew but I will if I have to. Now can we stop with the ring toss? I need you to not be paralyzed." He sets his hands back down on the table and she holds her quill up non-threateningly before sliding it back into her belt. "Listen, I've been using Haki at an exhausting rate, so can we please set tricks aside and just talk like civil Northies?"

"Don't call me that ever again."

"Nobody likes my nicknames," she sighs and rests a hand on the table. He's not sure if it's for emphasis or if she's having trouble keeping herself upright. There's blood under her nails. "What do you say? We continue our little poker game, I win, you do me a favor and we trade a little info?"

"What are you really doing here, Karmen?"

"If I told you I brought you something cute and furry to treat, would you hold it against me?" She leans forward in an inviting gesture. He glares at her. She relents, biting her lip slightly as she straightens. "I don't have much time left. I need a doctor."

He glances over her once. "You look perfectly healthy, if a little tired."

"I'll pay." She digs out her gold Gallowcomb seal. It glints alluringly in the artificial light. "Please. I've tried everything." The weariness and sleepless nights show on her face as she shakes the seal in his direction. "You're from the North Blue. You know how much this is worth."

Law strokes his goatee, leaning his chair back onto two legs and putting a foot on the table. "And where do you expect me to sell something like that?"

"Look, I've had a rough few weeks. I've been warring for the respect of Sea Kings to leave an island, I atrophied my own ex-father's arms off, blew up my childhood home, had to cross the Calm Belt _twice,_ was unable to help my captain as he watched his own brother die, and have been just under the radar of people who would rather see me dead for my now non-existent familial relationships. My doctor has given up and he's been getting weaker. Please. At least examine him. I can't lose him twice." She pauses and plays her trump card. "If you save him I'll tell you what I know about SMILE."

The chair is instantly on all fours and he makes a leisurely effort to stand. Law pockets the seal. For a moment two different types of desperation burn between them. "Where is he?"

"Already in the medical ward." Law leads the way, followed by Bepo and a few members of the crew. They find a heavily bandaged man wrapped in a thick cloak on a surgical table. The patient is unconscious but he shakes and sweats in clear distress. Karmen notes that he doesn't have the strength left to groan like he had a few days before. Law creates an operating circle and removes the soiled bandages with a flick of his fingers, frowning at what's underneath. What visible skin that hasn't been destroyed is deathly pale. The smell has gotten worse, if that was possible. Karmen's nails dig into her arms. Law goes to lift the hood off his face and she reaches forward to gently stop his hand. "Try not to freak out about his…" She waves a hand around her face before releasing him. Her hand is clammy and calloused. She steps back, biting her lip, feet threatening to break out into nervous tap dance as the surgeon lifts the cloak off Pierce completely. His eyes narrow, especially when he sees the two black horns sprouting from his head. Karmen sits on a different table and pulls her knees to her chest while Law begins his examination in earnest. "Can you help him?"

His eyes scan his patient quickly. "These stitches are very neat. You did a good job."

"I had a good butler." She bites her lip harder to keep from asking her question again.

"I thought you said he was furry," he inquires as he prods a few hairless places on Pierce's chest and abdomen, frown deepening.

"Every time I think he's getting better he starts… changing. I don't know what Ikaika did to him, but it's got Doffy written all over it." She watches Law's fingers shift to prodding his wounds, careful but precise, learning much while inflicting minimal discomfort. "He was always off-kilter, but if he doesn't have a good explanation for this I might set him on fire. I have a little Super Sunblade left over from fusing the Gallowcomb manor gate."

Law's fingers still over a particularly purple area on Pierce's left side. His face grows gravely serious. "Your friend's spleen is ruptured and he's septic. I'll have to operate right away." He gives orders to a few of his men and they begin prepping. "At best he'll need skin grafts and have a long recovery ahead of him. He'll have scarring on over forty-five percent of his body for the rest of his life. If you're going to cry or puke then wait outside."

"I'm staying." Her voice is soft but certain. She stares at Pierce intently. "This may seem like an odd request, but can I have one of his hands? I've heard that's something you can do. You don't need those for surgery, right?"

Making another operating circle, Law draws his sword and removes Pierce's right hand above the sores left by the chain shackles and tosses it to her. "Don't lose it. He might want it back." She interlocks her fingers with his and holds it tightly. It's feverish and warm. She can feel the blood still pumping through his fingers even though his body sits several feet away. What an odd devil fruit power. "Who is this guy, anyway?"

"Do you want the Gallowcomb answer or the one I'm still piecing together?" she asks with an exhausted, half-sarcastic tone.

"You're choice."

"His name is Pierce. He's my best friend and once personal servant, but Ikaika called him K-… my friend's spy. I don't know the full story. I was hoping to talk to that person on Sabaody, but…" She holds the hand tighter. "Do you know anything about Vegapunk?"

"Doesn't everybody?" Law is about to say something more when Pierce starts undergoing a strange transformation. Pale and brown fur begins welling up and disappearing on his body. Strange growths sprout all over his exposed skin and sink back into nonexistence. Parts of his body stretch and shrink, making him look unstable and liquid. The hand inside Karmen's grows gray fur, then sprouts an ear, then turns into a leathery claw. "I can't operate on him like this," Law says, lifting his sword to slice Pierce into manageable chunks. Before he can swing his blade the transformations stop and disappear abruptly. The patient's breathing becomes shallow and weak. Law lowers his arm and looks back to Karmen. She's holding Pierce's hand around her quill, shushing it and petting it like a cat. Law frowns curiously at her. "I thought that pen of yours had an unpleasant energy."

"I hate using sea prism on him, but it's the only thing that keeps… that… from getting out of control. I think he'd be able to control it if he was awake, but he's been trying to die on me after I spent two years figuring out how to save him. You have some experience working on animals too, right?" She glances over at the bear in a jumpsuit. "There's one other thing. I noticed something strange in his... eye."

Law lowers the surgical lamp towards Pierce's face and pulls open one of his lids. He curses. "You said your father did this to him?"

"Ex-father." She nods. "There was some agreement between him and someone with a lot of power. He wasn't able to lay a single hand on me, no matter what. So he tortured people in front of me and tried to marry me off to someone who had no qualms about beating women and then does this to Pierce when I left my fiancé standing at the altar twice. Pierce was kept alive to draw me back. That plan kind of backfired on Ikaika. Like I said, I disarmed him."

His team signals they're read. They wash Pierce's chest and stick needles and tubes into his arms. "We're going to start now. If you want him to live then keep that pen in his hand." He begins cutting. She taps her foot on the edge of the table. "What did you use on Gallowcomb?" he asks, indicating her earlier comment.

"An extinct toxin called Plucharon that was denatured using a method I stumbled on while in the sky islands. I saved my last two drops of it for him. I barely gave him the antidote in time to save his miserable life. He's lucky I made an instant one after my fight with that goat man. His hands were falling apart when I left. I'm not sure they'll be able to save his shoulders either. I sure hope not."

"So instead of killing him you made him live in ridicule and humiliation with the possibility of modification?"

"Don't go giving him someone else's arms now, Law," she says. "I suppose he could always run to that genius dog and get new ones." Dark thoughts form in her raging eyes. "I need more sunblade."

"So who is this mystery man who made this deal?"

"He's a man who protected my home island with some kind of relationship with my real parents. He would come visit the manor when he was off duty. We would sit in the vineyard drinking tea and he would tell me government secrets and things. I guess it makes sense that Pierce was reporting to him. He's the one who assigned Pierce to me, after all. Ikaika worked closely with the reigning powers and government, so there must have been a lot of information exchanged. He stopped torturing people in front of me so often after that but the shipwrecks increased. I'm not sure if witnessing suffering is better than knowing people died because of redirected anger, but I appreciated the distance. I dislike death, and I'm not a murderer. I couldn't even kill Ikaika." She speaks matter-of-factly, too tired to care what comes out of her mouth. Would he even be surprised if she told him this friend is Kuma? She doesn't want to risk an adverse reaction while he's elbow deep in chunks of Pierce.

"That's an odd outcome," he notes.

"Our friend believes children should stay innocent as long as possible."

"But he gave you top secret government information that could have gotten you killed."

"Pretty much." Law keeps Karmen talking like this while he works. She makes sure not to give away anything important, but it's nice to hold a conversation with someone who can reply. Eventually she relaxes her legs and stops squeezing the blood flow from Pierce's hand. His team throws out several medical terms and numbers that she feels are serious but doesn't quite understand. All the numbers sound abnormally high, but Pierce's face remains passive with only the slightest flickers of his scarred eyelids. The remaining tension in her hands slowly goes away as they work. She watches as pieces of Pierce are piled and rearranged until they are reassembled better than before. Law talks about first meeting Doflamingo and she tells him about her spotty encounters growing up with him. "Willow wanted nothing to do with him. She even tried to shoot him on a few occasions, but Ikaika felt he could make beneficial business deals with him. He used to try to entertain me by using birds as kites," she says, tapping Morse code with her feet. "By the end of his visits he would be putting on puppet shows with slaves. Ikaika loved it and Willow always complained that they were being taken away from their work, especially when he had them cut each other down with gardening tools." She sees Law get to Pierce's eyes but can't see what he's doing. She squeezes the hand in hers again.

Law and his team finish the surgery after several hours and put everything back into its proper place, including the hand. "Whatever they did to your friend, it changed his biology immensely."

"What do you mean?" Karmen had known this, observed it, stopped it with sea prism, but the confirmation from a medical expert still left a hollow chill in the pit of her stomach.

"His heart rate was up to a thousand beats per minute without putting him in excess distress and seems stable around 600 beats per minute, his hemoglobin level is elevated, and his spleen is twice as large as it should be. On top of that, his physical form is extremely malleable, as you've seen."

"Can he live like that?" she asks. "And don't you usually remove a ruptured spleen?"

"I have a theory," Law says, "and if I'm right, removing his spleen could kill him. We'll give him heavy antibiotics to clear what's left of the infections and keep him immobilized to prevent internal bleeding." His team straps heavy bands around Pierce and secure him to the table. Karmen pulls a feather from her quill and uses Usopp's rubber band to bind it to his wrist. Her fingers linger on his skin. Compared to her vibrant hue he looks like a corpse.

"What about his eyes?" she asks, stroking Pierce's damp hair. They look misshapen and swollen, even with the infection cleaned out.

Law takes a deep breath. "They're gone."

"You mean he's lost his sight?" she asks.

He exhales. "He didn't arrive with eyes."

Karmen's stomach lurches and her hand presses slightly deeper against Pierce's temple. "Doesn't have… Oh." The sub seems to tilt under her feet. She sits down and tries to convince her stomach not to empty. They're just a small piece of him, but she feels like one of the few stable things in her life has been wrenched from her. "And that cotton stuff you cleaned out of them?" she says airily. Some of the surgeons hover as if she may pass out. She feels like she could. She looks at Pierce's sleeping face and the world around her seems to stabilize some.

Law opens a cabinet and pulls out a small bottle. "White-nose syndrome. It's a fungus. There's not really a cure for it right now and getting rid of it in a human is tricky, but I can treat it and hope it goes away on its own." He drops the liquid into both of Pierce's eyes and wraps gauze around them. Before the bandages cover them completely Karmen is able to verify the truth with her own eyes. The sockets are completely hollow. "Has he eaten anything lately?"

She blinks her attention back to Law, fighting the new wave of nausea. "He hasn't been awake. I've been slipping him spoonfuls of broth, but it hasn't done much for him."

Law calls for a bag of nutrition with extra protein. "I can't give you free range of the ship, but you can go to the kitchen and cook yourself something."

"That's not something you want to offer." She looks at him sheepishly. "I can't cook. At all. Last I checked small yellow submersibles and spontaneous combustion don't mix."

"Fine. I'll make you some rice balls."

"Hear that, Pierce?" Karmen asks happily. "I run into such nice Captains."

Law sighs and leads the way. They sit across from each other while they eat. He stares thoughtfully while she stuffs her face. "You haven't eaten well either, have you?"

She swallows a large mouthful and thumbs a spare grain of rice from her lip into her mouth. "I told you, I can't cook. And there were smaller people who needed to be fed, so what food we did come across went to them." Maybe her lack of food has contributed to why the hall to the kitchen had still been swimming slightly. The captain slaps a newspaper down on the table. Right above a story about a foreign king being stabbed to death at a party is a bold headline that reads "Vengeful Ghost takes Noble's Arms to the Underworld." She grins. "Vengeful Ghost. That's Usopp worthy." She frowns. "I wonder where he is."

"What are you going to do now?" he asks.

"I'd like to find everyone again, but I have a few things to do before that and I have to wait until Pierce is better. When we can, I want to ruin Ikaika's company, DavenGallow Co., to make sure he can't come after us or my crew." She wonders if it would be better for Law if she called them Gallowcomb but she'd known them for far too long to use their surname multiple times in one conversation. She hadn't eaten enough to use three syllable names.

Law taps the table. "I held up my end of the bargain. Your friend in there will pull through. Tell me about SMILE."

Karmen swallows another mouthful of rice. "You know that Doffy's been operating out of Dressrosa for about eight years now, right? The SMILE factory is somewhere in the city. I was always under heavy observation when I was there, so I could never follow anyone to it, but Viola told me what she could. I was going to investigate it on a different matter but those stupid admirals went and wrecked the island with the lab I needed to get to."

"You mean Punk Hazard, right?" Law asks. It wasn't any secret that Aokiji and Akainu had destroyed the natural ecosystem of the island in their all-out duel for control of the navy.

"Yeah," she responds, dismantling a feather dart and adding its spider venom capsule to her drink. "My rays have trouble regulating their body heat with such extreme temperatures. I can survive any lingering toxins there, but Kudra would never forgive me if one of the children got hurt. She's the Sea King tailing us. My sources tell me that's where SMILE is being produced, even though the island is considered uninhabitable. So far they've only figured out how to duplicate Zoan types and as you've seen, they have strange effects on the body."

"So the horns and transformations on your friend…?" Law asks.

"Among other things," she says. "One of the four Emperors calls these power holders Gifters. He only has a few of them right now, but his army is growing. They gave one of the artificial devil fruits to Gallowcomb's head bounty hunter, Antwan Geraldo. I wouldn't be upset if you wanted to kidnap him and study it further."

"What if I told you that I could infiltrate the island for you?" Law says. "I wouldn't mind keeping in contact and exchanging information in the future."

Karmen eyes him for a few seconds. "I can see how that could be beneficial. While you're in that lab, I want every scrap of information on Gallowcomb and Vegapunk you can dig up. In exchange I'll keep you informed on Doflamingo's movements as best I can."

Law raises an eyebrow. "Why Vegapunk?"

"My friend's in trouble," she says in a tone that indicates he won't be getting any more information on the subject.

"I'll get you what I can, but I can't make you any promises. Word is they cleaned that place out pretty good."

They talk a while longer before Karmen says she needs to get back to Pierce. She washes the dishes quickly and leads the way back to the medical bay, drying her hands on her shorts. Law leans against the doorway and watches her push a gurney over to her friend's side and sit on it. "You're going to sleep here, aren't you?" She gives him a fearful doe-eyed expression and her hand grasps the edge of Pierce's bed. He sighs. "Fine. Just don't go touching the equipment."

She waves the pirate off and holds the patient's hand. "Can you hear me, Pierce? I'm going to assume you can. I seem to have developed a habit of rambling to unconscious people. Anyways, I know how much you like poetry. I hate it myself, but I'll put up with it for you. Remember how you used to read to me? I guess it's my turn." She taps her foot while picking something she remembers. It takes her so long that Law truly believes that she had done her best to block out all forms of lyrical expression. Finally she seems to remember a bit of verse. She takes a deep breath and begins a beautiful recitation. The crew standing in the hallway listening would never know that she detested every word. "I traveled 'cross these burning lands/ And journeyed past these desert sands/ To stop the aching of my heart/ To see this flight, a once caged spark." Law leaves her reciting poetry to her sleeping friend.


	52. Chapter 52: Recovery

_Valentine's Personal Log, Day 5:_

 _I've run out of memorized literary material to spout at Pierce's unconscious form and Law doesn't have anything Pierce would find interesting. I've been reciting facts about vipers to him for half a day. Every now and then another poem or story will come to mind. Is it bad that half of them are the government secrets Kuma told me? Good times. Law and his crew walk by every now and then and look shocked at half of what I've been saying. I guess most of this stuff isn't common knowledge. I figured the stuff from when I was a kid would have come out by now, but it doesn't seem like it has._

 _Sometimes I tap dance, masking the sound with my Haki. Some of the crew is fascinated by my abilities and sit around trying to figure out how I do it. After my audience grows to three people I fade completely and move to a different room. The crew can't hear it, but Kudra and the other rays outside can feel it in the water. I talk to them like this, tapping out Morse code and letting them know that I'm ok. That was the agreement. If I don't check in within a half-day time window one sea-king sized tail smashes the sub. At this point I don't think we have anything to worry about. Law's too good of a doctor to throw out a paying patient before he even opens his eyes. After, I'm not so sure. Law's almost as private as I am. I think he's tired of me scrubbing his sub. All the cleaning products are slowly being hidden. I can hardly find a rag to mop the sweat off Pierce's brow anymore._

 _I keep playing with his hair. It's longer than mine. Is it a sign of stress that his hair grew faster over these two years? Or is that rapid hair loss? Either or, he's got some serious locks. Laid out it goes down to his waist whereas mine only goes to my mid-back when I have it down. I know the curls shorten mine by several inches, but his hair was shorter than mine when I left. I want to trim it for him, but I think I'll wait until he can tell me how he wants it. He deserves a little freedom of expression after what he's been through. Instead I combed it into a ponytail at the base of his neck like he always used to wear it. This way I can mess with it without it really bothering his sleep, not that he's even stirred. His improvements are visible, but it's hard not to get impatient. It's been two years since we've actually spoken. Now that his hair is out of his face I've noticed more about the scars around his eyes. They look like starbursts, flaring out angrily in all directions. The ones around his left eye cut twice into his eyebrow. I don't think he'll ever be able to grow hair in those areas again. They're mostly healed, leaving the skin a purplish pink color. His lids sink now that the swelling has gone down. With barely being fed while in the basement he lost a lot of weight, so the features of his skeletal structure are prominent in his eyes and cheeks. His sallow face reminds me of Brook in a way, if he had skin. The musician would make a joke about that, wherever he is._

 _For the most part I've been monitoring Pierce's vitals. His blood is thicker than a normal human's. Something about having a high hemoglobin level. I don't understand half of the medical terminology Law spouted at me. I guess he requires more protein and oxygen than normal. All I know is that if I Synchronize with the pace of his blood I could run the length of this sub in about three seconds. This could be handy in battle, but right now it's keeping my mind racing a mile a minute. I fall asleep trying to distinguish individual beats of his heart. Who knew someone who has barely fluttered an eyelash can help me train my Haki?  
_

 _Recover for as long as you need, Pierce. I'll be here when you wake up._

* * *

"You should shower soon," Law says, toweling off his own hair. "You've been sitting there for three days."

Karmen lifts her head from the stationary bed Pierce had been moved to. The mattress holds the impression of her cheek where she'd laid it for most of the three days while holding Pierce's hand and waiting for him to recover. She hates seeing him strapped down after what she'd taken him from. Worse still, they hadn't surfaced at all this entire time. Pierce would want to feel the breeze on his skin and see the shimmer of the ocean. Oh… He'd… He'd be able to hear it and feel it, but not see it.

"I'm a selfish hellion," she realizes. "There was all this stuff I wanted to do and experience now that we've been reunited, but most of them require sight." She strokes his hand again. "I can't believe that I was feeling sorry for myself because I can't show him things." She lays her head back down. "You deserve better friends, Pierce."

"Just so long as you realize that before you go dragging him places," Law comments, leaning against the doorframe. Karmen chunks her spare pillow at him and it bounces off his head.

"This is why you're single, Doctor Spots," she mutters.

"Don't call me that!" He gives a huff and a clean towel collides with her head. "Take a shower already. His sense of smell will be stronger since he doesn't have eyes anymore. If you stink like an old hospital he'll worry."

Karmen knows he's right. She hadn't wanted to leave Pierce's side, but she was beginning to get a little ripe. She pulls the towel from her head and moves down the hallway. She has to put up a sign on the door since Law doesn't have many female members in his crew. "Peek and be poisoned. This is your only warning." The warm water feels good against her skin. She sits on the floor and lets the panic and renewed grief take her for fifteen minutes and then regains her control before finishing her wash. Pierce had been looking pinker, healthier. His breathing had begun to even out and his frantic heartbeat had begun to slow, though it still hums like a bee. She'd found herself constantly touching the black horns protruding from his head. They were different from Antwan Geraldo's, which stood straight out like his spiky blond hair. His curved over his head like they had been slicked back, or like they had grown straight up when Pierce had constantly had his chin tucked. What had Ikaika done to him? She knows too many horrors to linger on the thought for long.

Feeling only slightly better, Karmen turns off the water and dries herself. Law had provided a loose pair of pants and an old t-shirt to change into. She's pretty sure she'll have to keep the remaining torso of her dress hidden to prevent it from being disposed of. Despite it's obvious loss of function, she wants to keep it for sentimental reasons. She uses her canister belt to hold up the pants and pins her hair up, feeling a bit of nostalgia as she remembers spending time with Nami and Robin. With a sigh, she goes back into the hallway. She spies Bepo leaning against the wall and looks up at him with large, cub eyes. Law comes down the hallway a few minutes later and finds Karmen sitting on Bepo's shoulders curled around his fuzzy head. He raises an eyebrow at them. "If you're going to let her treat you like a stuffed bear you could at least try kicking her a few times first," he says.

"It's too hot in the sub for martial arts," Bepo sighs.

Karmen strokes his ears absentmindedly. Law knows that the Mink bear isn't actually against the attention and cuddling a woman, even if he isn't into humans. "We're about to have lunch. If you don't come down to the galley you'll have to fend for yourself." Both Karmen and Bepo flinch and Bepo hurries after Law, Karmen sliding down to hang from his back so she doesn't hit her head in the doorways. When they arrive at the table and are handed portions of food she notices that some of the crew isn't there. The ones that are look at her incredulously as she dumps generous amounts of poisons onto her food that sits on a plate between the bear's ears. She eats vacantly and goes back to laying her cheek on Bepo's head while he finishes his meal and the plate taken to be washed.

"Why are you up there?" one of the crew asks.

"It's called Minktimacy. Leave her alone!" Bepo snaps, cheeks flushing slightly. "She's been really stressed lately!"

Karmen cuddles his head more vigorously by wrapping her arms around his forehead. Bepo isn't Kuma, but she's overly fond of him anyway. With the spots Law tended to wear and the bear's ears, she felt she could pretend a little. Whenever she was worried as a child and Kuma had been present, he'd let her curl up in his hat or in his lap or the crook of his arm. She'd wanted to curl up next to Pierce, but he still looked so fragile and she was afraid to touch his torso and face. So instead, Bepo gets the brunt of her urges. Despite the fact that he is a martial artist bear he doesn't seem to be able to refuse her, no matter how hot the sub gets.

After the meal, Karmen dismounts and finds the rest of the crew on her way back to the hospital wing. Bepo trails behind her because it's something to do. She'd forgotten to take the sign off the bathroom door and there are four men standing around it adamantly discussing which one of them will open the hatch. Well, there was a warning, she thinks. She holds her finger to her lips and shushes Bepo as she draws a quill. As one of the men turns the knob carefully and pushes the door open quietly, she fades and sneaks up behind them, melding with the lingering steam that floods from the room. Before she can stab them with something, a blue circle appears around them and Law is suddenly behind them. He bashes their heads together reproachfully and walks away without a word. "What did he go and do that for?" one of them asks, rubbing his swollen temple.

"He just saved you, that's what." The men jump as Karmen unfades, wiggling her quill in their direction. She flips the sign on the door. "You're lucky I let your captain see me. Lesser men haven't gotten away so unscathed." She walks past the shivering crew members and makes her way to Pierce's bedside. Law is waiting there with a bowl of food. They'd developed a method of feeding him. Law used his powers to painlessly cut into Pierce's stomach and pour in a puree of whatever they'd eaten themselves. He cleaned out the after effects later when Karmen isn't in the room. It was amazing how seamlessly the body parts fit back together. If Law ever gave up revenge and pirating he could put together a pretty entertaining show.

Karmen settles into her bedside position when he's done and helps him change the bandages. After the wounds have been cleaned she carefully spreads an antibacterial ointment. It's much easier to see what all had been done to him now, visually, anyway. Deep gouges had been cut and scorn from his flesh. She touches each one with feather-light fingers as she works. She never says anything during this process and she always remains quiet afterwards. Every now and then Law will glance sideways as he followed her with new bandages. She finishes by treating his eyes with a mix of ointment and fungicide.

They'd put their heads together and mixed medicines and toxins to try to stamp out the fuzzy substance which seemed intent to grow back rapidly. She'd also taken over some of his lab equipment to work on some of her poisons. When she wasn't sleeping hunched over Pierce's bed she tended to pour through Law's medical library. Since she restrained herself to only a few rooms in the entire sub Law tended to give her free reign so long as she cleaned up after herself. The cleaning equipment she needed would mysteriously reappear when she was ready for them. On occasion they would discuss how toxic plants could be used as medicine and the best ways to immobilize an enemy. Now as they wrap clean bandages around Pierce's eyes he allows her silence and her emotionless expression. He'd gotten used to it and had come to expect it. For this reason he nearly jumps when she speaks.

"What was it like? Being under the influence of the Calm-Calm devil fruit?" she asks.

His eyes narrow. "You know about Corazon?"

"Doflamingo let it slip about his brother one night when someone didn't cut him off," she admits, making a hand motion to indicate drinking. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"How much time _did_ you spend with him?" he asks, not masking the annoyance.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you half the time he was using _me_ as a puppet? Then again, so was Ikaika, figuratively." She wishes she'd had time to question Kuma. She doesn't think Law is going to answer.

"It was the best night's sleep I ever had," he said finally. Karmen smiles a little. "Are you considering looking for it?" He asks the question calmly but there's an added edge to the movements of his hands.

"Someone's probably got it by now," she says. "It was what, nearly twenty years ago?" She shakes her head. "No. I like being underwater too much to ever eat a devil fruit. And besides, with my reverse Haki I can be as quiet as I want. I was just thinking… maybe when he woke up he'd feel cheated out of his chance of ever having the choice to decide if he'd wanted to or not. I was wondering if he'd appreciate a calm little bubble where no one could hear him process it all. I wouldn't blame him if he wanted a soundless place to scream. I used to." Her fingers stop on the long healed bullet wound just below his left collarbone. "And with what I'm going to be doing I think the power would come in handy."

Law doesn't speak for a moment as he needlessly adjusts the torso bandages before re-wrapping the immobilizing straps around his patient. "Cora saved my life when I wanted to die and take anyone and everyone down with me," he says. "If anyone has his fruit and is squandering it I'll kill them myself." He looks down at Pierce. "If he went through this to save you then he probably won't regret having powers so long as he can use them to defend what's important to him."

Any further conversation is cut off by a moan and a flicker of movement in Pierce's linen covered eye sockets. Karmen wipes her hands on her pants quickly.

"He's waking up! Law, you're a miracle worker." She reaches out to touch him but hesitates. She wonders how she looks, then decides it doesn't really matter.

Pierce breathes rapidly, damp spots appearing on his eye wrappings. "I dreamed I was free, but this is sea prism. I'm just hallucinating the smell of the ocean. And flowers," he says weakly in a voice barely audible as if he thinks he's talking only to himself. "I'm still stuck in this basement. Saaresto, is this some new kind of torture he's planned up?" he says a little louder.

Regret flood's Karmen's face. "Law, he spent two years chained to a wall. There has to be something we can do that doesn't restrain him."

The surgeon tilts his head slightly. "I've got something, but you may not like it."

"I'll do anything."

"Mistress?" Pierce mumbles. Some of the agony in his voice dissipates.

"I'm going to put you into his body. If you move or start sprouting things his spleen will tear open and he'll die."

"Do it."

He makes an operating circle and pokes their souls from their chest. "Shambles."

Karmen feels herself rocketed from vertical to horizontal and everything goes black. There's a sickening feeling washing though her that makes her feel weak and dizzy. She can see nothing but black and feels the comfort of soft cotton over her eyes. "Oh gosh. Sea prism sucks. I want to puke. Take it off. Take it off right now." The voice she speaks in is deep and reverberating. She can the feel soft mattress against her inflamed back. It feels nice. She focuses on that.

"Karmen, calm down. Remember the spleen. Do. Not. Shift." Law picks up something metal, probably tongs. The feather is removed from her arm, sliding out from under the rubber band. The nausea disappears and she feels strength seeping back into her. She focuses her observation Haki to analyze Pierce's altered anatomy. She mentally identifies the transformation trigger and pushes it into a stable box using a meditation exercise that Godwin had taught her.

"This is really strange," she hears herself say. "Ok. I obviously haven't died and possessed someone. I'm talking. Or you are. This makes my head hurt. Who's he?"

"Pierce, meet Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates and the doctor who saved your life."

"That's yet to be decided," Law says. "Stay still."

She wants to shift her head at the slightest sound. Every footstep and whisper are as loud as the ship's engines. She can smell everything from the raging infection under her nose to the bear in the other room. "Your senses are all messed up and your heart is about to beat out of my chest," she says, taking a few deep breaths. "Not being able to see is scary. Pierce, hold my hand please."

"This is weird," Pierce says again . "God I look awful." A soft hand slides into Pierce's. She can feel her own calloused fingers gripping his. "I guess that's you in there, Mistress."

"Is that what I sound like to other people? I sound hot," she jokes in his deep voice. "And Pierce, you look pretty great to me. Though, you could use a haircut. Once you can sit up I'll take care of it for you."

"Geez. Look at my face." The hand in hers squeezes. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I kept glaring at him so he cut out my eyes. It took him a couple tries."

"You idiot. Do you really think I care about you not having eyes?" she growls at him. "I'll take a partial, alive you over a corpse any day."

She hears him shift, looking around their environment. "It's so weird being able to see again. Is there a mirror? I want to see… you."

"Over here," she hears Law say. The hand in hers disappears.

Fading footsteps. "Mistress, you look amazing. How'd you get all this lean muscle? Last time I saw you, you were squishy."

"Cleaning houses for two years is great for upper body strength," she says. "You should see how far I can throw a pen… sorry."

"Why is your stomach sore?" She hears fabric rustle. "You've been shot." His voice goes soft with shock. Footsteps. The hand is suddenly grasping hers again. "Mistress, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"Pierce, if I could move right now I'd smack me. Look at yourself and tell me who didn't protect who. You were shot _and_ tortured. That's a fish riding scar compared to this."

"Did you finally get a fish riding scar?" Fabric rustles. "Holy crap you have a life bond."

"Do not. Lift. My shirt. Again." She hears Law sigh. "I have a scar on my right thigh from a bounty hunter's tranquilizer dart in Alabasta, and one on my ankle from fighting a lightning Kami on an island in the sky. There's a small scar above my right ear from the snipers two years ago when I escaped. The bullet wound, which you've seen, is from a government agent in Enies Lobby. We destroyed it to get back a member of our crew. I'm a pirate, Pierce. Law here is a rival captain. This is the best life in the world. We can be free now."

"It sounds like you've had an adventure. I'd love to hear all about it when I'm feeling better." He strokes her forehead. "What about everyone else? What happened to them?"

"Remember Parvati? She gave me the bond marks on my shoulders."

"The stingray that won you the gold a few years back?"

"She went to the Calm Belt and had babies. Lots and lots of beautifully patterned babies. Kuma sent me to her and we carried all the Valcour slaves to the Sun Pirates."

"The fishmen? Wouldn't they kill you on sight?"

"They didn't see a Gallowcomb. They saw a pirate secretary." She squeezes her own hand. "Are you upset that I took so long? I tried to get back to you right away, but it was so hard to find a ship and traveling takes money and when I did get off the island they left me on the ship was headed West, so it took even longer and apparently Doflamingo's men have been stalking me and-"

"Mistress. The fact that you were thinking of me in your absence is more than enough. I don't mind being blind so long as I can remain by your side. You've been through a lot too, haven't you?"

"I have so much to tell you." She smiles. "But for now, Law, up his pain medicine. This sucks."

"You don't seem to be in that much pain," Law comments. She can hear him moving around the bed in white flashes of sound.

"Mistress is used to situations like this," Pierce says. "Well, not body switching, but she's always trying to suffer in someone else's place. She's in the most pain when her face goes blank."

"That face actually upsets our First Mate. He flicks me in the head every time I start to make it," she says, smiling at the memory.

"Well at least someone was taking care of you in my stead," Pierce says. "I still can't believe you came back for me."

"I could never leave you with that man," Karmen responds, thinking about all the nights that thought had kept her awake. "I promised I'd come back for you."

Pierce squeezes her hand tighter. "That means the world to me, Mistress. Thank you. I promise to recover quickly so I can serve you once more."

Karmen squeezes his hand gently. "In my bag you'll find a few documents in a plastic bag. The yellow one is yours to do with as you wish."

Pierce disappears briefly, but not completely. Karmen can hear him taking her light footsteps across the room and the rustle of material as her bag is opened and the crinkling paper is taken out. "This is…"

"Your ownership papers." She hears him unfold them and read them over. "They saved your life. Now I'm giving it back to you."

The paper rips several times. Her fluttering heart leaps with each one. "This is the life I've chosen." Her hand is held once again. "Let me remain by your side. Not as your servant, but as your friend."

"You don't owe me a thing and your debt to Kuma has been well paid," she says. She hears Law's heartbeat shift at the mention of the Warlord's name. He'd probably put two and two together now. Oh well. She'd been waiting two years to have this conversation. "Do not feel obliged to stay. You're free now. You can do anything you wish."

She feels her own forehead lay gently on her borrowed shoulder. It is one of the few places that doesn't hurt. "It is my wish to continue to protect you, Mistress. I only ask that you do not cast me from your side."

Karmen can only move enough to squeeze his hand. "If you still feel that way when you're recovered, then I will gladly accept. I like knowing that he can't harm you anymore."

The medicine begins to kick in and Law switches them back so Pierce can rest, securing the sea prism feather back to his wrist. Karmen sits on the chair she'd pulled over and watches him sleep. "You look like you've made up your mind," Law comments.

Karmen gives a set nod. "Gallowcomb is going down."


	53. Chapter 53: Batoidea and Camilla

_Valentine's Personal Log, Day 26:_

 _Pierce has recovered enough to stand and move around on his own without almost passing out. I was finally able to trim his hair too. He asked me to cut it just past his shoulders like he used to have it. I suppose he's a creature of habit. He still keeps it in a low ponytail at the base of his neck, tied with a black ribbon. I'm glad he's starting to feel like his old self again, even if it does mean he's guarded around everyone who comes in contact with us here on the sub._

 _It almost makes me sad that it's time to go home. Not for me, of course. This submarine is a little suffocating. But Pierce will have to leave his source of momentary vision. Law switched our souls less often after Pierce was able to leave the bed. I think he's trying to wean Pierce away from soul swapping for his own mental health once we leave the good surgeon's care. Pierce got to see Parvati through the porthole window and Kudra circling just behind her. He commented on how she'd grown by ten feet since the last time he saw her, saying maybe she'd be as big as Kudra one day. From Pierce's body I could hear him going to the mirror a lot. His pain got better every time we switched. With the medicines working and the infections clearing his health has been improving by the hour. Even his sallow face is beginning to fill some now that he's able to eat on his own. His appetite reminds me of certain members of the crew. He'll fit in just fine two years down the line. Poor Sanji will be struggling to keep up._

 _I noticed something strange while switched. The sea prism dart had been removed for the first time in a few days and I could feel the pull of his powers. They're unusual in the sense that his body wants to transform naturally, without any prompting from will or command. It actually takes more effort to stay in human form than it does otherwise. I know Pierce has noticed it too. This isn't the case with a regular Zoan and we all know it. The moment I realized it I wanted to set Doflamingo on fire. I may have to go back to Little Garden and find some Plucharon just for him._

 _I can't imagine what Pierce has been through and I'm patient enough to wait until he's ready to discuss it. He struggled with being bound to the bed. Despite knowing that he could not move and live, his trauma made him long to be free of any restraints. When he couldn't stand it anymore Law would switch us. I don't mind, but I hate that Pierce was so frightened all the time. He has nightmares like I used to. He'd break into a cold sweat and scream. I hold his hand and sing until he stops. He seems to be ok as long as there's some form of contact. It got better when he was healthy enough to remove the straps. He still had to sleep with the sea prism dart strapped to him with Usopp's Rubber Band of Doom for a while, but the past few nights he's been fine without it. He has trouble with water. He asks me to sit outside the bathroom while he takes a shower, leaving the door cracked a few millimeters so he can hear me for the five minutes it takes him to do a speed wash. Law suggested moving further down the hallway each time and eventually closed the door all together. I still tapped little rhythms with my feet so Pierce could hear that I was still there, but he looked shaken when he came out._

 _I'm just glad that I can take him home today. Law has been flexible, but Pierce needs to stretch his legs somewhere other than a metal can. I packed all our things, or my things, not that I brought much more than what would fit into my satchel. Next stop, Batoidea Island._

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want us to drop you off anywhere?" Law asks. He, Bepo, Karmen, and Pierce are standing on top of the yellow submarine in the middle of the Calm Belt with no land in sight. Well, the men are standing on the submarine. Karmen is sitting on Bepo's shoulders rubbing the top of his head one last time before their departure. Karmen and Pierce have been given a set of the same jumpsuits that Law's crew is so known for wearing. It scratches against Pierce's still bandaged body uncomfortably, but he doesn't have anything else to wear. He'd unzipped the top and rolled it down to the waist, leaving his injuries exposed. They still itch. Karmen found the clothes much more pleasant. She likes the warmth of full coverage. She prefers this jumpsuit to evening gowns and likes storing her poisons in the sleeves. Though, when she raises her arms all the poisons slide down to her waistband and eventually her ankles.

"You don't want to get close to the island," Karmen says. "It took two months for Kudra to let me leave when I first got here and I had an inside ray. I don't think she'd be happy about a sub being around the pups. You've got too much work to do to be stuck on an island for six months."

"Yeah, I guess not," he says. "You've got the transponder snail. Let me know if you hear anything."

"Same to you, Dr. Spots," she says. Law sighs but doesn't demand to be called by his name after the three weeks they've spent together. Parvati surfaces, fully harnessed. Karmen gives Bepo one last snuggle before sliding off his back. "I'll miss you, B." Bepo gives her one last hug before she steps back over to Pierce's side.

"And you're sure your plan will work, Mistress?" Pierce asks uncertainly.

"Do you trust me as your eyes and your guide or are you going to stay on the sub?" Karmen asks. "You won't be the first power user I've taken through water and you won't be the last. Besides. What will Winston and Saaresto say if I show up without you? Do you know how long they've been waiting to see you walking and talking? I've barely been able to keep up with their responses through ray mail." The stingrays had been ferrying letters in airtight bottles back and forth between the sub and Batoidea Island. Each time they would come tap a bottle against the windows of the sub Law would surface. He said it was because Pierce needed fresh air to heal properly. She knew deep down he was just a stone-cold softie and silently appreciated his patient care.

"I will, but only if you reinstate me," he says. Karmen gives a small laugh. She'd tried every way, form, and bribe to make him consider other options but he kept returning to her with the same answer. Deep down she knows the real reason. Pierce is the son of Revolutionaries who died in battle. Kuma took him off the streets and raised him to be a soldier. He'd been by her side since he was eight and had been isolated from anyone he might have made friends with. Pierce knows nothing but his service to her, and now that he is blind he is afraid of being on his own so soon after getting back on his feet. He doesn't say it, and she doesn't say she knows it. She feels responsible, but she doesn't feel capable of throwing him out into the world like this. Other than the Straw Hats and Gekko Island, she doesn't know anything either. She'd barely begun to figure anything out and doesn't want to be alone.

Karmen leads Pierce onto Parvati's back and faces him. "Then kneel." He complies, dropping smoothly to one knee. His abdomen is beginning to heal well, she comments in her head. Law really is the best surgeon in the world. "Pierce, I hereby reinstate you as my bodyguard, partner in crime, and all around disposer of people who annoy me, for as long as you wish." She says this in a formal manner, but there is the hint of a smile in the corners of their mouths. She even taps his shoulders with her plain quill with an embellished flourish.

Pierce responds in kind. "I humbly accept and request to add 'pain in your side' to the list, M'Lady."

"Hereby granted."

Law sets his sword against his shoulder and closes his eyes. "If you two aren't going to leave, then at least kiss and get it over with."

Karmen gives him an exasperated glare. "Don't make me stab you."

He opens one eye and smiles. "You could always try." He opens his other eye. "Don't keep him underwater for too long. Hypothermia won't do him any favors."

Pierce stands and faces him. "Sir Trafalgar, let me know if there's any way I can make things even between us. I'd like to repay you someday."

Law closes his eyes again and rests his sword across his shoulders. "Don't be ridiculous. The Secretary-ya paid for your treatment in full. If you really want to repay me, just make sure you find some reliable info on Doflamingo. Oh, and try not to die. I'd hate to see nearly a month of work go to waste."

Pierce nods and Karmen extends her hand towards the captain. They clasp forearms. "I'm not sure if I'm going to miss you or if I'm going to be happy to finally get away from your inquiries," she says. "I'm definitely going to miss some of your crew."

"Feel free to take Bepo along. He's been useless because of you," he replies as he releases her.

Bepo gasps. "Captain! Please be serious!"

Karmen giggles and gives the bear a smile. "We'll see each other soon. We're working towards the same goal, after all."

"I'll expect your call," she tells Law. He turns away silently and returns to the interior of the submarine. Karmen closes her eyes, choosing to see only with her Haki.

There are twenty other stingray around them. Mother Kudra circles impatiently below while they watch the sub's hatch sealing and the submersion process, gently rocking the waves beneath them. Some of the crew wave at them from the windows even though they know they cannot see, and the rays perform coordinated dances through the water in farewell. They dive until they are out of sight. Karmen picks up the reigns and Parvati swims slowly away until Karmen cannot feel the presence of the Heart pirates. Pierce holds her waist gently.

"Are we really traveling underwater to the island like you told Law?" Pierce asks hesitantly as the water spray reaches their knees.

"In your condition? Of course not," she scoffs. "Though we will be using that method later, so mentally prepare yourself and be ready."

"You don't trust him with the location of the island," Pierce observes.

She shakes her head before remembering that he can't see it. "No. Law is hell-bent on revenge. He'd trade us out in a heartbeat if he felt it would get him a chance to kill Doffy," she says. "He's a powerful ally though. He should prove useful."

"I hope you didn't tell him everything. We need some leverage if he decides we aren't."

"I thought the same," Karmen says. "I don't think he knows Doffy was a Dragon. Do you remember the argument between Willow and Ikaika when he decided he wanted Doflamingo as a business partner? I thought she was going to shoot them both. I may not like the guy, but Doffy's childhood couldn't have been easy."

"Don't you think that should have been one of the first things you told Law? He still has the influence of a Dragon."

"I'll tell him before we infiltrate Dressrosa," she says. "I need something to ensure our safety."

He chuckles softly. "You always were thinking five steps ahead."

She snorts. "You wouldn't say that if you had seen me over the past two years. I was making things up on the fly. Having a captain like Monkey D. Luffy will do that to you."

"Speaking of making things up, how much were you not able to tell me?" he asks. "That man never left you alone. I'm pretty sure he ordered the bear to let you cuddle him to see if he could get any more information. And why did you let him in on our relationship with Kuma?"

"Law is a smart man, and more importantly he's from the North Blue. He knows who runs the territory. If he hadn't already figured it out when he found out who I was, he would have eventually. Nico Robin did. I think it's important for him to know that we have at least one powerful ally and he should be careful about where he sticks his sword."

"God I missed you."

Kudra races ahead of them as they approach Batoidea Island. The waters surrounding them are teaming with rays that flood around her, churning the calm waters in greeting. Hearing the commotion in the water, two figures appear on the overseeing cliffs.

Pierce sniffs the air, sensing their presence. "Is that who I think it is?"

Karmen waves at them. "Winston! Saaresto!"

Dr. Saaresto stands slightly stooped with well-trimmed gray hair and one cloudy eye set inside his half-scarred face. He wears a brown three piece suit and carries a medical bag over his shoulder. His good blue eye sparkles at their approach. "Pierce! It's good to see you alive," he calls. "I'm sorry I was unable to assist you any further."

"Karmen explained everything to me," Pierce calls back. "You did what you could."

"What in Kudra's name are you wearing?" Winston steps to the edge of the cliff to examine them closer. His voice is smooth and deep with an exotic purr at the base of his throat. He too is wearing a three piece suit and Sea King leather shoes. He has dark hair with gray streaks that is parted to one side in a well-tailored style. He carries a straight black cane with a large diamond for the handle. Karmen recognizes it as the one his nephew Godwin carried before he was shot and killed two years ago. She had caught sight of it briefly when they had evacuated Valcour, but the sight of it now still makes her throat catch slightly.

She buries the emotion and smiles. "Uh-oh. He's caught sight of you now. It'll be best to play dead until he's through." Winston is notorious for trapping people in a fitting room for hours on end and sending them home with entire wardrobes. Karmen fears for her own safety as much as she does Pierce's.

"So he hasn't changed a bit." Pierce groans back with a smile on his face. "Be gentle with me. I may be standing but I'm still recovering from a near death experience."

Winston chuckles. "I'll only make you three new outfits to start. Something that won't aggravate your wounds."

Winston had been the best tailor on Valcour. Maybe even in the North Blue. Now that he had been liberated from servicing Celestial Dragons he seems to have no plans to give up the craft or his strives to make full outfits of the highest quality at top speeds. Not only could he make clothing, but he could make the shoes and jewelry to go with it. When you could get him to focus on just clothes he could make five outfits a day by hand. "There's no way you have your workshop set up already," Karmen says accusingly. "It's only been three weeks."

"Don't doubt art, darling." Karmen groans inwardly. If he already has his workshop then he's been using it. He'd have a whole closet set up just waiting for her to try on. And Winston doesn't often take no for an answer. He turns back to Pierce. "So they weren't lying about the horns. I guess the rumors of you being a Zoan now aren't that far off either. What kind of transformations do you make? Will I need to make special modifications?"

Pierce grits his teeth slightly and Karmen grabs his wrist. "He's not allowed to transform right now. He's still too sick."

"We have other matters to discuss," Saaresto says. "We'll meet you in the caves."

The best thing about Batoidea is that it has a massive cave system that leaves most of the island hollow. Part of the cave bears a natural spring that provides constant fresh water and helps maintain the natural cool ambiance and grows several fungi that Karmen finds useful to her immunities training. Most passages are naturally lit by bioluminescent plants. Other areas are open to the surface, allowing rainwater and sunlight to enter. Karmen had begun a garden in these areas when she had been trapped by Mother Kudra. She may not be able to cook, but raw vegetables and poisonous plants could keep a girl fed. Unfortunately she hadn't been around long enough to see any of them grow enough to become edible and had to forage for food. It was also a good thing she didn't mind raw fish. Parvati made sure she was well supplied.

They reach the shore and Karmen leads Pierce to one of the concealed entrances in the overgrown cliffside. There are three on the surface and one that can be accessed underwater. Karmen prefers the latter, but she doesn't want to put Pierce through more than she has to. And Law said to keep him dry. That will be hard enough in a damp cave.

Saaresto meets them there and clasps them both to him, using a gentler pull on Pierce who still seems so fragile. He leads them into one of the gardens and motions into the natural room. Karmen looks past him. Inside, sitting in a beam of sunlight, is a woman in at least three layers of clothing and a cloak. She is kneeling down, tending to the plants. She stills as they approach and turns in their direction, staying low to the ground but prepared to run. "I couldn't get her to speak. I've found no sign of injury, not that she would let me get close, so I assume that it must be psychological trauma," Saaresto says. "She wrote that her name is Camilla. She had escaped from one of Gallowcomb's business associate and was hiding among the Valcour slaves when you liberated them. She refuses to leave. And the part that I find interesting, she claims she was able to see you."

"Could she now?" Karmen steps into the room and gives Camilla a nod. "My name is Valentine W. Karmen. I'd like to officially welcome to Batoidea. Do you mind if I test your ability? You don't have to do anything, just watch me for as long as you can." Camilla looks at her for a long time and finally nods. Karmen performs a partial fade and begins walking around the room. Camilla watches her as if she hadn't done a thing. She puts in a bit more effort and changes direction. Still she watches. Karmen fades past the point that she had on Valcour and is impressed to see that she is still able to follow. It is only when she increases her fade to the point that had allowed her to sneak onto Kudra's back that she seem to have trouble finding her. Karmen reappears behind her. "I admit, I'm impressed." She turns around, saying nothing. "You're talented, I'll give you that. What is it about this place that makes you want to stay?"

"Not this place," she says in a soft but clear voice. It chimes like that of a singer's. "You."

"So she can speak," Saaresto says, throwing up his hands in frustration.

"Hush and let her," Karmen says. "What makes me so interesting?" she asks.

"You did what I couldn't." She doesn't seem to think any other explanation is necessary.

Karmen looks at her unblinking. Her dark face is smeared with dirt and her dark eyes have an animalistic quality to them. She's pretty, young, scared, and filled with regret. "Saaresto, Winston, give us a few minutes, won't you?" They leave them alone and Pierce leans against the cool wall to give the illusion of privacy. "Who was it? Who did you lose?"

"My sister." The words are barely audible.

"How old?"

"Thirteen."

"And you?"

"Seventeen."

"They used her."

"Yes."

Karmen looks at how Camilla still glances at Pierce every few seconds. The multiple layers of clothing. The defensive crouch. It's all there. "They got upset over something, killed her, then you killed him." Shakky had provided her a report over the incident that had arrived a few days before she rescued Pierce. The dots line up and point to this girl.

"Yes," she confirms.

"I'm sorry for what they made you do to protect your sister. I'm sorry it didn't work. I know killing him will never be enough for you."

Camilla grabs a fistful of damp cave dirt. "Is that why he's still alive? After everything he tried to take from you?" she asks, meaning Ikaika. Her voice shakes as she tries to understand the actions Karmen took. She feels that Camilla might not want to understand.

"Once a dam breaks there is only so much you can do to stop the flood."

"I already know I'm beyond help." She stands and turns to leave. "I just wanted to meet you."

Karmen puts a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm saying there's only so much pressure a person can take. Sometimes a little destruction facilitates growth." She wonders if Camilla can feel her hand through all that fabric.

"Then why do I feel like the one that's falling apart?"

"Because you're the one still standing. Sometimes that is the hardest position to hold."

Camilla looks at Pierce. "And what about you? You're still standing. Is it worth it? You can't even bear to leave her side for a few minutes. You don't trust anyone around her. You'd even attack me if I made one wrong move. Doesn't being wound that tight all the time exhaust you? You're falling apart at the seams. You want him dead. I can see it in your empty eyes. You'd kill him the first chance you get."

"Don't project your ideology on my reality because you've been hurt," Pierce says.

"Would you?" Karmen asks.

"Probably," he admits. He turns his face away. "She has a point. Why didn't you?"

"Because then I really would be his daughter." Karmen turns Camilla back around. "You never did answer my question. Why are you here?"

"Because you saved them both." She gives Karmen a hard look. "Teach me how to be like you."

Karmen raises an eyebrow. "That's a life-altering course, dearie."

"My life could use some altering right about now." Karmen nods and steps back. Camilla looks back towards the plants. "Tell those other two that I don't plan on talking to them. I don't like men."

"So why talk to me?" Pierce asks.

"Because you're the reason I was able to meet her." Camilla turns back to Karmen and moves her hands in a few surprising motions.

-Do you sign?-

-Ancient Elbafian?- Karmen signs back. –That's a rare language, even speaking.-

-The king I was forced to dance for was only able to buy an elderly giant. He taught me. You?-

-A warlord.-

-So you'll train me?-

-I've barely been able to teach myself, to be honest. I don't mind if you choose to stay here. You can stay for as long as you like. What you pick up is up to you. This is my island. Everything goes through me and I decide what stays secret. Any notes in bottles that the rays bring come directly to me. I do hope you don't plan to cause trouble. We have big fish to fry.-

-Your rules sound fair. If I cause you trouble, do what you see fit.-

Karmen looks around at the plants. They'd been well tended. –You're good with plants?-

-My sister was.-

-Then let's see what grows.-

"If you two keep waving at each other my ears are going to explode," Pierce says. "I'm a little rusty on my ancient languages."

"You could tell what we were saying?" she asks.

"Most of it," Pierce says. "All movement changes the air pressure. The thick clothing helps too. It rustles."

"Come on. Let's go get some lunch," Karmen says. "Saaresto! Tell me we have bread!" She calls down the tunnel. "We haven't had any in three weeks. I think Law choked on some as a child or something."

"You're the one who chose where to put the store room," Saaresto's voice echoes back up the chamber. "Surely a month and a half hasn't made you forget where you put it."

"I was sure Winston would take it for his workroom," she says. They go down to the kitchen-in-progress and Karmen stayed clear of the wood-burning stoves, heading straight for the pantry instead.

Saaresto and Winston follow her inside and Pierce offers Camilla a chair at the freshly carved table. "What's the story?" Winston asks, keeping his voice low. Karmen ignores him for a few seconds to find a basket of rolls.

"A month ago a king in the North Blue threw a party and met an unfortunate demise. What you didn't find in the newspapers is that a young slave was found dead in a storage room, clothes badly torn and body mutilated. The king was found half-dressed on his bedroom floor with a knife in his back. The girl was Camilla's little sister."

"So a couple guys get drunk, maybe even the king himself, and kill the kid. He then demands the services of a slave girl and ends up dead."

"That about sums it up."

"How do you know this?"

Karmen looks at Saaresto while munching on her roll. "There was a story about it in the newspaper below the story about me attacking Gallowcomb. Ikaika stopped for the funeral before arriving back at Valcour. Our information network is proving its weight in gold." She pauses for more bread. "If we're going to keep ex-slaves on the island we need some major therapy going. I mean like twelve step programs, exposure, and rooms where people can smash things. Martial arts training would help."

"Leave it to us," Winston says. "Just make sure this ends." He glances back out at her and sighs. "I suppose I can forgive her for stealing those outfits from the closet I'd set aside for you."

She looks past him at Camilla, silently thanking her for saving her from three rounds of dress-up. "I think she can help, with a little work." She swallows the bread in her mouth. "Camilla, how do you feel about experimental therapy?" She throws the girl a roll.

Camilla catches it and shrugs. "I never was one for meditation."


	54. Chapter 54: The Color of Sound

[Author's Note: You all don't know how excited I am that you finally get to meet Pierce and learn more about him. I started posting this story last January so this chapter is like an anniversary for me. I have written over 300 pages and 200k words of this fic. This chapter is one of my favorites from the last few months, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have. Thank you all for reading and thank you for this amazing year.]

* * *

Outside, even on a cloudy day, he is able to feel the warmth of the sun or the soft glow of the moon on his face. Though the caves in Batoidea Island regulate their own temperatures they still drop a few degrees at night. This is how Pierce is able to tell the difference between night and day down here.

Gray.

That's how he remembers the rain. When it beats upon the earth it creates a kind of static in his ears that is an all-encompassing gray.

And then there is the barometric pressure. It changes, even in the caves, bringing an influx of moisture that he can smell from miles away when there is a storm. He can smell it, intermingled with the damp, moldy air of the system and hear it change how Karmen breathes poisonous flowers, exhaling a deep purple from where she sleeps on the bed roll near his.

He knows he isn't remembering this accurately, but after nearly nine months of blindness the colors all become pastel and begin to fade form memory, shunted out by his brain as unneeded in the place of spatial recognition. Sometimes he plays games like this, associating color with sound so that they don't fade completely. Having been soul-swapped into Karmen's body for those fleeting moments helped. All the colors that had faded rushed back to him. He had forgotten the warmth of yellow, the glaring contrast of blood. But most of all he remembered the hopeful olive tones of Karmen's tired face. The deep woodsy brown of her nearly black hair and how the artificial light of Law's sub glinted off it. It seems strange to him that the first thing he wanted to remember about sight would be the color brown.

The rain had started about thirty minutes ago. He heard the first raindrops hit on the gardens two levels above them and trickle down the halls in tinkling white, settling deep underground in the reservoir two levels below. Movement is always white for some reason. So when Karmen hyperventilates ragged purple into the air and rolls towards him, the white movement of her desperate hand stops inches above his bandaged chest. He can feel the warmth of it there through his bindings, but it withdrawals making the cold temperature of the room more prominent with its absence. He hears her nails lightly scraping palm as her fingers curl inward and rest against her chest. She'd woken herself up right before she made contact, too afraid of agitating his wounds to allow herself to cling to him in fear.

This behavior falls into the same category with the reason why she chose to sleep beside him instead of the room she'd chosen down the passageway. If he has a night terror or there is a complication from his injuries she'll be right there to strap sea prism to his arm. He hate's sea prism, but when it's needed she sings, which makes it manageable. Her voice is like a scarlet bird that drowns out the darkness, grounding him to the present and shutting out the past. It's somewhere in the quivering chirps of muted panic in her breathing, hiding amongst the purple.

He hears the flutter of her eyelashes as she blinks, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness; the slight shift of her ears as she listens to the sound of his breathing, cool tendrils of silver that fade into the silence. Her other hand stretches out in hesitant bursts of white. She settles for gently grasping a lock of his hair, just a slight connection to remind herself that he's still there. She doesn't pull, but the slight movement tickles his scalp and sends a pleasant chill down his spine.

"Bad dream?" he asks. It's not what he wants to say. He wants to tell her that it's ok to cling if she's scared, that she won't hurt him as much as she's afraid she will. But that's not Karmen. She hates feeling vulnerable and can't stand the thought of causing him any more discomfort. He meets her in the middle and reaches out a hand. She trades it for the hair.

"Sometimes my unconscious makes me think that this past month never happened," she says softly. The places her hand touch his are a golden glow and full of life. He knows that's not the right visual, but it's the image in his head. "Why are you awake?"

"It's hard to keep track of time when you're blind," he says. He decides to be honest with her. Maybe if he shows vulnerability she'll allow herself to open up as well. "I wanted to reflect upon a few things before I slept, and when I close my eyes I'm back in the basement." Sockets. Whatever. It's a figure of speech. Sometimes he can hear air flowing around where his eyes should be. It's an annoying shade of orange. Sometimes he wonders what Ikaika did with them. Always after he tells himself that it doesn't matter. They'd been thrown away, fed to something, or saved as some sort of sick trophy. It doesn't change the fact that he'll never see again. Sometimes he wonders if things would have come out different if he had broken. If he had wept and begged and whimpered like a child instead of defiantly meditating through the torture. But no. He knew Ikaika too well. He would have gone looking for more ways to hurt him without killing him to prolong his psychotic enjoyment. Or he would have found Pierce annoying and killed him. He'd seen it all. Karmen had seen more. She knew the hand that had done this to him, even if it was never turned on her. He bears her hidden pain in his skin, all the suffering she isn't able to put into words. He'd kept her from this harm as Kuma had asked. To do these two things he would endure much more. It isn't something he himself understands and he doesn't expect her to. Deep down he feels Kuma would be able to name the bond between them. He can feel it in the golden light linking their hands now.

Karmen takes a moment to adjust her hand in order to hold his more comfortably. He wonders if she can feel the gold. "Were you thinking about the bath you took this afternoon?"

He can feel his cheeks flush. "It might have been one of the things I'd been reflecting on." The bath in question had been disastrous. It had been two days since arriving at Batoidea and Pierce had avoided pools of water at all costs. It didn't take his sensitive nose to tell him he needed to bathe. After some discussions about his health Winston had helped him boil water and fill a wooden tub before leaving Pierce to his own devices. So long as the water was moving he'd been fine, but as soon as the static gray of the water tension settled on its surface a cold sweat had begun streaking light gray down his back. Water is the one thing his echolocation can't penetrate. The sound waves skim across the surface instead of showing him what lies beneath, leaving a dark void in his newfound form of sight. His mind filled with flashes of slimy bodies that carried death dealing shocks of electricity. He'd almost transformed and split his spleen open right there. He must have cried out, because Karmen came running, not caring that he was only wrapped in a towel. With her impeccable eye for detail she was able to understand the source of his panic before he'd even calmed enough to utter a word. Humming softly, she dipped her hands into the water, stirring it softly, purifying the gray into white that danced with the scarlet. She made a display of thoroughly checking the tub before declaring it eel free. She then knelt in front of him, prying his fingers from his horns, and simply held his hands until he'd recovered, offering to stay. Being embarrassed enough he had claimed himself capable of taking things from there. Even when she'd left and he was able to lower himself into the water he felt pathetic. He can't even take a bath without having flashbacks to being tortured. "Thank you for continuing to be patient with me, Mistress," he says. "Post traumatic stress isn't the most rational thing to deal with."

"I guess the cave doesn't help. We can make other arrangements if you need it," she says.

"I don't mind the cave. The air here is clean and I find the company more tolerable."

She chuckles, a lavender sound. "If only Winston would stop making you try on three outfits a day you may just find us all rather pleasant."

"At least he only had to measure me once," he says in agreement. "I don't think I'd be allowed to leave his workroom otherwise. You'd have to come break me out again." He softly squeezes her hand and she returns the gesture. "Thanks again for that. And taking care of me while I recover. I know it hasn't been easy for you."

"I'm here because I want to be, same as you," she says. "I helped tear down an entire government-run island for someone I'd known for a few weeks. I've known you my whole life. I plan to tear down his whole empire to ensure you and the others can live the lives you choose. This is the life I've chosen."

Pierce rolls towards her, wishing now more than ever that he could see. He does his best to pull up the image of her that he'd seen in Law's mirror. "If you don't slow down you won't need me as a bodyguard anymore."

"You really are an idiot," she says softly. "Just because I can protect myself now doesn't mean I don't need you. Do you know how hard those two years were without you? That Kami was super scary. I would have died if it weren't for Mihawk and Luffy. And I had no one to talk about Kuma with. You didn't see him, Pierce. I'm not sure he can even be classified as a cyborg anymore. I think we're losing him." She curls into his hand, pressing her forehead against it. "It breaks my heart."

Pierce takes a deep breath, feeling the fear pour out of her. She'd told him this before and neither of them had been able to figure out a way to help him, much less reverse what had already been done. He had attacked her captain at the battle of Marineford, but he had been surrounded by people who could make his life very difficult if he hadn't. Mihawk had attacked him too, but that was just Mihawk. Heck. Mihawk had attacked _him_ a time or two. Not to kill, of course, but to test the protection of his adoptive niece. Pierce had never got the upper hand, ever, but Mihawk commended his progress. He wonders what he thinks of what Kuma is going through. He'd probably say it was up to Kuma as to how he chooses to protect those he cares about. It is also possible that Kuma had sworn him to secrecy on a few things and he would continue to withhold information until the point where it endangered Kuma's life.

"Do you remember me telling you about the two years I spent with Kuma before he entrusted me as your bodyguard?" He feels Karmen nod against his hand. "I was six. My parents had been killed in a battle between Revolutionaries and corrupt Navy officers working for one of the ruling powers in the North Blue." It had been a raid on what was supposed to be a hidden Revolutionary encampment, he remembers that much. He thinks he blocked out most of his life up to that point. He doesn't remember names or faces, the kingdoms or officers involved, not even those of his parents or his own surname. By the time he met Kuma, he was just Pierce. "My house had been destroyed in the battle and I had been living in the rubble for a week when Kuma found me. He'd come as soon as he'd been given the report on the battle. I guess there were some survivors hiding underground, but it had been a total massacre. He took me and three other people off the island. The others had somewhere to go, but I only had the army. Kuma personally trained me for two years straight. He's a guarded man, but when he would leave to visit you he would tell me about it. I felt like your friend before we even met. Then when I was eight he set me as your bodyguard. One day I asked him why he'd asked _me_ to do it. It was obvious that he cared about you, but we were both kids. I was told that you needed a friend more than you needed a bodyguard. I just happened to fill both roles."

"It seems kind of messed up when you think about it," Karmen says. "Sending a child to guard a child from monsters like Ikaika. It's no wonder you got beat black and blue the first time someone tried to kidnap me. I mean, I guess he had Godwin there too, but he had to play by double standards."

"My point is," Pierce continues, "is that Kuma understood that he couldn't take care of us all the time. He trained us and prepared us to take care of each other and ourselves. We lost Godwin, and we may be losing Kuma, but he wouldn't compromise himself if he didn't believe we could survive without him. In his own guarded way, I think he's telling us that we're ready to handle things on our own. Losing people sucks, especially someone as important as them, but we have the resources to take care of ourselves if that should happen."

"I suppose you could be right," she says, rolling over to look at the ceiling. "But what if I don't want to?"

"Then you've got us," he says. "Me, Winston, Saaresto, I guess Lady Camilla, and that crew you're always talking about. And Sir Law, partially. And then there's Lady Shakky and the information web. They're always reliable. And if you wanted to pull in the standoffish big gun, Sir Mihawk. Then there's Winston's six brothers and-"

"Ok, ok, I get it," Karmen laughs. "I couldn't ask for better support, or better friends. I'm really happy to have you back."

"I'm glad you came back. I'll take a cave any day."

"Are you sure?" she asks. "It's not too cliché or anything? We really can build you a house. Winston stole some of Willow's family jewels that he was polishing. I've made a few non-Doffy related black market contacts who are practically begging us for them."

"I mean, seriously, you may have to be my bodyguard while I go train."

"You are not allowed to train until you've healed." Her voice turns a brick red, firm and unyielding.

"You've made that apparent. Sir Law made that apparent. _Saaresto and Winston_ have made that apparent. You know, it's not much different than being in chains sometimes. I can't go anywhere or do anything without someone making sure I haven't sprouted a second set of horns." He feels Karmen squeeze his hand. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I don't mean to complain. I know it is for my own good and I have to take care of myself before I protect others." He says this as if he's heard it a hundred times before. It had been at least twenty-five. He sighs. "If it is your will, I will honor it. It is just that I've been able to do nothing for two years straight. I'm tired of doing nothing."

"I've given you something to do," Karmen says. "How has your study of braille been going?" Karmen had taught herself braille in a week while on Law's sub so that she could teach it to Pierce. In her spare time she sits in the dining chamber poking little bumps in pieces of paper for him to read.

"You know how it's going," he groans. "So far I've got dot dot dot, _half-dot,_ dot dot. And did I mention dot dot dot?" He sighs again, closing his sockets in exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Mistress. It's a wonderful resource and I'll get it eventually, but right now everything feels the same." Braille dots are another shade of orange. Lighter than the air flowing through his sockets but more present, especially when a sheet of it is casually slid towards him every time he sits down. Sometimes he'd like to just enjoy the act of sitting. Sitting is green, like a lawn stretching out with rolling hills and spring flowers. The points of contact of cloth to a surface creates a cushioning sound that is simply green. When you've spent two years chained to a wall, the simple act of sitting is heavenly. Maybe that's why he finds braille so annoying even though the thought of being able to read again elates him to no end. Having Karmen read poetry isn't bad though. Her literary voice is a velvety red, inviting and soft to the touch. "When I do learn to read braille, will you still read to me from time to time?"

"Anything but poetry," she says with a slight groan. "Maybe you can have one day a month where I read you poetry, but just one. I mean that."

Pierce chuckles. "I can tell you've had your fill and accept your terms." He yawns. "We should get some sleep. Winston will be back at it in a few hours."

"He has gotten better, you have to admit that. He only made you stand for one hour of fittings today." Pierce grunts in response. "Do you mind if… if I hold your hand until I fall asleep?" she asks. "I haven't slept well during storms for two years. It would help."

"It might help me too."

She closes her eyes in a flutter of white. Her exhalations of purple slow and her ivory heartbeat steadies.

The sound of sleep: pale blue, like rain should be.


	55. Chapter 55: Small Measures

_Valentine's Personal Log, Day 30_

 _Preparations are going well. Winston and Saaresto have been invaluable help in planning out the island and how to best utilize the caves for therapy. Camilla has slowly been training the bioluminescent plants to cover more ceilings and walls, even transplanting portions of them to the darker caves. I find the soft blue glow peaceful and calming, but going to the surface and laying in the sunlight is nice too. I go up and look to see if my apple tree is starting to grow. I had a few seeds left from the apples I ate when flying to Batoidea that first time. While I warred for Kudra's respect I planted them on the highest hill on the island. It is a small break in the trees on the cliffside that oversees the whole island and the surrounding waters. From there I can see the rays swimming around and checking the mermaid purses for signs of hatching, waiting for their pups to arrive. Most rays just let their young float out to sea, but these rays seem to have developed differently in the still waters of the Calm Belt. If Kudra's behavior is any indication, they are fiercely protective of their young, especially before they can swim about on their own. Parvati seems happy with Raja. If I counted right this will be their eighth mating cycle since I raced with her. I wonder how many of these rays are her children and how many of these little black pouches bear her grandchildren. She lives a life I may never find, but my life is hers and hers is mine, so I feel I can take vicarious pride in her family. I couldn't ask for a better bond mate._

 _She and Raja have been invaluable to me. They travel as a pair to deliver mail. I've written Shakky asking for detailed information to help us map out our future endeavors, mainly production plant location and trade routes. I've also written Uncle Drac. I asked him not to reply but to find the time to keep Kuma updated on our planned activities. I don't know how closely he's being watched after Sabaody and am afraid that any contact between us will endanger his life as I know it. Maybe once Pierce has a handle on his abilities we'll go visit Mihawk, if things don't get too complicated on our end or if he isn't traveling on business. He's not really the type to play host, but he wouldn't turn us away either. He's reclusively sweet like that. It doesn't mean he wouldn't try to see how Pierce's new powers stand up in combat though, hence the third person I've contacted. I hate to bring up the loss of someone she cared for only months after the fact, but if she or any of her companions can give us pointers on how to train Pierce's new abilities it will prove invaluable to us. He doesn't talk much about his powers, mainly because he isn't healed enough to use them yet. I still think he resents the method in which they were received. Hopefully any training they can provide will show him how to find some sort of resolution._

* * *

Karmen goes to retrieve her bodyguard from Winston's workroom for the third time this week. She had been busy with other preparations all morning and he had managed to snag Pierce before she could protect him from being fitted for yet another outfit. She stiffens instantly as she turns the corner, a familiar scent reaching her nose and curdling her stomach. She turns accusingly on Winston who is fitting pins into a shirt on Pierce who is mouthing the word _help_. "Where is it?"

The tailor becomes defensive, holding his hands up in a cautionary gesture, setting his pins to the side. "Now hold on, Karmen," he says, sweat forming on his brow. "I know you don't like this fabric but surely you can allow me one little bolt."

"Where. Is. It?" she asks, drawing her quill. She doesn't give him time to answer. She fades and is behind him so fast that he doesn't have a chance to protect anything. She flings back the cloth covering his workbench revealing a 20 yard bolt of pink cherry blossom printed silk. It looks expensive. She kicks it into an open patch of floor and throws her whole quill into it. The concentrated sunblade in the bit catches the fibers almost instantly and within a minute it's a smoldering pile of ash. Winston falls to his knees in defeat. "Sorry, dearie," Karmen says in a tone that doesn't suggest any remorse at all. "There is to be no silk on this island."

He shakes his head. "I knew it would happen eventually," he sighs and mops his brow with a cotton kerchief as he stands. "Well onto other matters... And by other I mean Camilla..." His eyes become pleading. "She's driving me insane. You have to help me," he says in a rush, wringing his tape measure in his hands pleadingly. Normally he can eyeball measurements, but with her habit of wearing multiple layers of clothing he can't get an accurate read on her. It must be maddening for him. After having the audacity to bring silk into her domain she enjoys watching him squirm a little.

Satisfied with his display of discomfort, Karmen gently takes the measuring tape away from him. "Why don't you finish up here and go have a cup of tea with Saaresto. I'll see what I can do. You know. In exchange for torching that disgusting fabric." She gives a little wave over her shoulder as she turns to leave. "Have fun, Pierce." He could deal with a few more fittings for co-conspiracy.

She strides up the tunnel and knocks on the wall at the entrance of the nearest garden. Camilla is there, watering plants in her usual three layers of clothes plus cloak. "Are we training today?" she asks.

"Camilla, dear, it's eighty degrees up here. You're going to die from heatstroke if this doesn't stop," Karmen says.

She pulls her cloak tighter around her. "He's not touching me with that thing." She glares daggers at the measuring tape. Karmen tucks it behind her hip just in case it shreds on contact.

"I never said he would," she says softly. "No one here will touch you without your permission. If they do you have mine to stab them. I thought we might compromise and have me measure you." Camilla's glare softens slightly at this. "We'll go to the other side of the island, be alone in a private cave, and I'll record your measurements for Winston. He'll make you something thin but concealing that you'll be comfortable in."

Camilla looks past Karmen and glares at Pierce who had managed to slip away and follow her. "He can't come. I don't care if he's blind."

"That's fair," Karmen says. "Right Pierce?" She turns to look at her bodyguard who seems to have suddenly emotionally transformed into a lost puppy trying to regain his composure.

"If you wish to be alone, I have no objections," he says in a tone that suggests he may have a few. Or several. Camilla seems to enjoy seeing him uncomfortable. "H-how long do you think you'll be, Mistress?"

Karmen feels bad for him. He'd hardly left her side since his rescue. Even when Winston is fitting him she is usually still within earshot. Perhaps a while apart would be good for him. "Thirty minutes maybe," she says. "Maybe an hour."

"Very well," he says, looking a little paler than usual. "I will go see what Saaresto is doing."

"While you're with him you may want to discuss finding trees to make some doors," Karmen says. "If we're going to stay in the caves we might as well make things homey. And be sure to tell them to stay on this side of the island. You have my permission to tackle them if they don't. And tell them they have the same right for you."

"Trees. Tackling. As you wish, Mistress." He puts his hand on the cave wall and begins guiding himself down the tunnel in the direction of the good doctor.

"Oh, and take them this." Karmen takes a feather off her remaining quill, wraps it in her veil, and hands it to Pierce. Her other quill is still down there with Winston. It will be best for both of them to have something on hand.

"Sea prism?" he asks, shoulders drooping in disbelief. "If you feel it may be necessary, M'Lady." He leaves the room, ashen faced.

"I thought he was going to pass out," Camilla states when he's out of sight, sadistic glee in her voice.

"He can still hear us, you know," Karmen says. "He has very acute hearing."

"I know," she says pleasantly.

Karmen purses her lips at her. "Listen, Camilla, I know you have good reason to dislike men, but I take any mistreatment of Pierce personally. He is my second in command and while you are on my island you will respect him, no matter how you feel about him. Do we have an understanding?"

"Only because it is you asking," she says. Karmen makes a mental note to give Winston an actual apology later for her reaction to the silk. She doesn't regret burning it in the slightest, but he's a tailor at heart. He loves the fabric for the same events that had caused her to hate it. Maybe she could let him keep a handkerchief or something. But for now she'd deal with Camilla.

"And stop with this hero worship stuff. You'd already escaped on your own. I just happened to be around to give you a ride," Karmen says.

"If that is what you want."

Karmen sighs. She isn't the type to have groupies. "Let's just get this over with."

It takes them fifteen minutes to cross the island and find a suitable cave that is open to the outside but private enough for Camilla's needs. Even though they are alone the girl still seems to have trouble taking off her layers, especially since the top one was so tight due to the lack of size difference between it and the other two. Karmen has to help her, careful to only touch the edges of the fabric. She remembers when she made her red outfit, may it rest in peace, and how she had covered as much skin as possible. She had done this after only experiencing wandering hands and eyes. Camilla had endured so much more and it pains her.

She'd stop it. At least a few cases. Even one. Somehow this kind of thing had to end.

The second layer comes away sweaty and the third layer is completely soaked. Even her underwear is concealing, leaving only her forearms and shins exposed. While it isn't necessary to remove more for the measurements, they both agreed that they should let them dry a little and remove the last layer when they're done. Karmen makes an executive decision. "Let's get your measurements and then you can wash in one of the underground pools while I wash these." Camilla agrees hesitantly before stretching her arms out. Karmen works quickly, careful to touch her as little as possible. Though she's a woman she knows Camilla is mentally fighting every point of contact. It would take little steps to get her used to any form of touch again. This is a good start, but it will be a long process.

When they finish Karmen leads the way to the underground spring. It is mostly enclosed with only a thin stream of sunlight filtering in from the ceiling. When Karmen's back is turned, Camilla hands her the rest of her clothes and steps into the water, submerging herself up to her chin. Karmen keeps her back turned and finds a shallow area to scrub the clothes. "Are you still open to alternative forms of therapy?" she asks.

"How alternative?" Camilla responds. Karmen hears the water ripple as she turns towards her.

"You would be uncomfortable to be sure, but not overly so."

"What are you suggesting?"

Karmen takes a deep breath. "I want you to let Pierce see you."

There's a pause.

"He's blind."

"That's right."

"He can't see."

"He sees, just not like we do."

"You want me to let him touch me."

"Just your face." Karmen stops scouring the clothes. "You can say no if you're not ready."

Camilla exhales a deep breath under water and resurfaces. "I'll do it if you remain in the room."

"I promise not to leave you alone," she says. They continue washing. Though Karmen finishes first and lays the clothes flat she keeps her back turned until Camilla is finished. She pulls herself up onto the shore and they wait for her and the clothes dry. The girl shivers on the rock she's perched on though it is not from the cool cave air. Karmen finds the cloak among the other fabric in the dim light. Being the outside layer it had survived being drenched in sweat and hadn't been washed as a result. She walks backwards, careful not to slip on the damp rocks until she's standing just behind her and holds the cloak out. Camilla takes it and wraps it around herself, pulling the hood far over her head.

"Thanks."

Karmen sits down behind her, careful not to brush up against her arm or back. "So, do you have any color preferences?"

"What?"

"For your new clothing. Winston has his own styles, but he'll take your tastes into account. So, what color do you want?"

"Black," she says. "And purple."

Karmen smiles. "That's a good color combination, concealing with a hint of personality."

"I guess," she says. "Why do you like red?"

Karmen chuckles. "When I use my reverse observation Haki most people can't see me. Sometimes I use it to give myself a ghostly, mist-like look. Other times it's because if anyone has observation Haki strong enough to see me at full fade then they deserve to see me."

"So it's your challenge to your enemies?"

"Not exactly." Karmen sits quietly but doesn't offer any more explanation.

"It's not really fair. You can read me so easily, but you stay so guarded. It's hard to tell what you're thinking," she says.

"Living two lives will do that to you." Karmen nudges a rock into the water with her toe. "I didn't really mean for it to happen, but the red dress sort of became my symbol. It gave me the name The Scarlet Secretary. Yes, it is a noticeable color, but I don't wear it to draw attention to myself. I wear red because when I expose Ikaika and Willow and other people like them to the world I don't want anything to be hidden. People like you and Pierce have experienced far too much for anything to be swept under the rug. People like your sister."

"They didn't even mention her in the papers," Camilla says. "It all focused on him and what a good king he was and how much his twenty wives were grieving. How his thirty children had already started assassinating each other for control of the throne. They don't mention that they broke her neck in three places. That her arm had been twisted out of its socket. That she had been… There was a boot print on her face. On her _face_. She was thirteen." She lays her head on her knees and her shoulders shake in silent grief and fury. "Do you really think we can stop it? Will what you're planning to do make any difference at all?"

"Not all of it, not everywhere," Karmen admits. "But it will make a difference for someone." She leans back slightly, letting her side touch Camilla's back. She stills instinctively, but relaxes a few seconds later. "When I was a child I freed a mermaid at a fish race. Her owners were angry but I had gotten away clean. I won that race, went home, and never heard if anything had come of it. A few months ago I ran into an octopus fishman and a mermaid. They were friends of the one I'd released. Even to this day she tells people about the human girl who picked a lock with a bobby pin. Fishmen mistrust humans because of people like the Celestial Dragons I grew up around, but her story has helped the efforts towards peace between our species. And then there's Fisher Tiger who broke slaves out of Mariejois. His success inspired others to help those who couldn't help themselves, even after his death. If I die during this, someone will tell my story. Even if it's Winston or Saaresto, or Pierce, or you. Somehow the injustices we've faced will be heard and I hope that the story will spread until it cannot be ignored. Not all of it makes sense outside my head, but that is why I wear red."

She feels Camilla lean against her a little. "If I die, will you tell her story?"

"It is already being told," Karmen says, thinking of how she'd learned the hidden details of the event from Shakky's letter. "But I will make sure it is not forgotten."

The clothing takes a while to dry so Camilla puts on the thinnest layer and they carry the rest to the surface to dry in the sun. She stays wrapped in the cloak while they make the fifteen minute walk back to the other side of the island.

They hear the commotion before they even enter the cave. Looking at each other, they descend into the projection of muffled voices that get louder the deeper they go.

"I'm telling you she's been gone too long to be fine!" they hear Pierce's echoing yell. "Let me go!"

"And we've told you time and time again that she's capable of taking care of herself," Saaresto says. "If she chooses to take longer than she said then she may do so at her leisure. Now if the sun would set before she came back, then you would have reason to worry."

"I'm telling you she could be hurt! I am ordering you to release me!"

Karmen clears her throat and scuffling sound instantly stops. Though she is still several passages away she knows his acute hearing picked it up and the others picked up on the change in his behavior. They enter the chamber five minutes later to find the three men in Winston's workshop. Winston and Saaresto look exhausted and happy to see her. Pierce is leaned against the wall, immobilized by about a hundred yards of fabric that she suspects also holds the sea prism dart she'd sent with him. His pale face, which is turned away from her, is pink in the cheeks and ears.

"Hi boys," she says. "I see you've been having fun while we've been gone."

"You've been gone for four hours," Pierce says. "I was worried about you."

"I can see that," she says. "Winston, dear, I think it's safe to release him now?"

"Yes, ma'am," Winston says. He deftly slices open the fabric with a pair of scissors leaving Pierce and his clothing completely unscathed. The man slides to the floor where Saaresto retrieves the sea prism dart and returns it to Karmen. Pierce stands a little shakily, but is able to regain his composure. In his hand he grips her now very wrinkled veil.

Karmen hands Winston his tape measure and Camilla's measurements before retrieving her quill from him. "Purple and black are requested. I will deliver the product once you are finished." She turns and secures Pierce by the arm. "We'll meet you all for dinner." She leads her bodyguard from the room. "You didn't have to give them so much trouble, you know."

"You said you'd be gone for an hour. You were gone for four. I think it is logical at that point to assume something has gone wrong and to go looking for you," he says. His voice stronger now, relief replaced by something else. Anger?

"We live on a guarded island, Pierce. If anything were wrong the rays would tell us."

"They can't reach inland, Mistress," he says. His voice shakes.

Karmen stops and turns him towards her. "Tell me what you need."

He holds up his hands, palms up. "Can I just… hold you? You don't have to hug me back. I know you're still worried about my wounds. I just want to see in my own way that you're alright."

Karmen turns her back and guides his hand to her shoulder. He wraps his arms around her and leans his forehead against her hair. She holds his arms to her and tucks her chin into them. He is careful to touch only her arms and shoulders with his hands. "I'm sorry I took longer than expected. I didn't mean to worry you."

"No. I know I'm being irrational," he says, breath warm against her scalp. "I know you have responsibilities that will sometimes take you outside of my range of hearing. I will try to remain calm in the future." She can feel him calming, his fluttery heart rate steadying to a hum against her back. She closes her eyes. "Tell me if I make you uncomfortable."

"I do not mind your touch," she says. He withdraws his arms but keeps his hands on her shoulders. "We should redress your wounds soon." He releases her and they move into the next room which they had designated as their makeshift medical ward. Saaresto had been steadily restocking it in preparation for the upcoming missions and the expected flux in island population. Pierce sits on a steel table and removes his latest shirt, a pastel blue cotton button down v-neck with half sleeves, the one Winston had been fitting for him this morning. Karmen takes a pair of medical scissors and cuts away the bandages. She cleans the morning's ointments and traces her fingers along a few healing knife wounds. "Your skin is starting to grow back. Good." She begins applying fresh ointment along his torso. "We'll be able to remove some of these stitches in a few days, I think."

"We have company," he states.

Karmen waits a few second before looking up as she begins applying fresh bandages. Even then she can only see Camilla's outline coming up the passage. She reaches the room and glances between them, looking several times at the wounds on Pierce's body. "Did you need something?" The question is asked in a way that invited her to focus on Karmen.

Her eyes look back up at the Secretary. "I thought this might be a good time to do that therapy you mentioned."

Her eyes go back to Pierce's wounds. Karmen wraps a little faster. "I'm glad to see you taking the initiative on this," she says.

"Therapy?" Pierce asks. "I'll let you be alone then, once you're done with me."

She smiles, silently commending his efforts. "Actually I'd like you to help us." She ties off the last of the bandages. They're a little crooked in some places, but that can be fixed later. "I want you to take a good look at Camilla's face." Pierce looks like he's about to be tested on his reflexes with the help of a very sharp object. "She's not going to stab you, I promise. We discussed this."

Pierce stands and faces her. "I am happy to help," he says, still sounding hesitant. "May I have permission to touch you, Miss Camilla?"

"Yes," she says, closing her eyes, brow wrinkling in an anticipation of displeasure. He starts with her forehead, lightly tracing the outline of her face along her hairline. He then touches her jawline and chin. His thumbs brush the underside of her lips and she flinches, causing him to pause. She breathes. "Continue." He traces her eyebrows, her eyes, the shape of her nose, and across her cheeks. He keeps his fingers light but exploratory. He finishes by smoothing her hair, learning its texture and length.

Pierce steps back. "Thank you. It's nice to put an image with a voice. You are a very pretty woman."

"Well?" Karmen asks. "How was that?"

"Uncomfortable," she says. "But not overly so. Forgive me if I go wash my face now."

"I am not offended," Pierce responds.

"Would you be willing to do this or something similar in the future?" Karmen asks.

Camilla glances back down at Pierce's bandaged torso. "It is not as bad as other things. I suppose there is a further step?"

"Next we'll do the same thing with Saaresto and then Winston," Karmen says. "Eventually, not any time soon, dear, I would like to work up to a full examination from Dr. Saaresto. I promise you he is a professional and I will remain in the room with you if you want me to."

Her face is as pale as Pierce's and she supports herself against the wall. "For now let's stick with the face touching." She takes a deep breath and steadies herself. "How long does therapy like this usually take?"

"It could take years," Karmen says. "For the both of you. And your therapy will be good for Pierce."

Both Camilla and Pierce look confused. "What does touching my face do for him?"

Half a smirk plays on the corner of Karmen's mouth. "I thought it would be obvious," she says. "Exposing Pierce to other people reminds him that it's ok to trust someone other than me."


	56. Chapter 56: Doors

"That should do it," Winston says, wiping sweat onto the sleeve of his shirt as he steps back to examine his work. They had just placed the final door in the cave system. They had spent a week cutting and treating wood from trees that had been felled in the recent storm. Karmen had been surprised that it could rain in the Calm Belt, and it had been an irregular storm, but she supposes clouds can drift and form wherever they please, even if there is no wind to move them. The rain had fallen straight down with nothing to disturb the droplets and the lightning had been persistent in its attack on the island. To be honest she felt a little targeted, but she knows the thought is slightly irrational. She'd never spent any length of time in the Calm Belt when she was younger, so it is feasible that she doesn't know what kind of weather, if any, to expect in a place like this. Storms certainly are rare, but not impossible… apparently. Nami could probably explain it.

The lightning-provided trees had made perfect materials for sectioning off the cave system. Part of her wonders if this is bad for the overall environment of the caves so they make sure there are drainage trenches and small slots in each door to ensure animal and moisture movement is unobstructed. That is, for all except three doors.

"And you made me a key?" Karmen asks.

"The _only_ key," Winston states, handing it over. The key fits easily into the lock and turns smoothly. "My big brother taught me how to do that."

"You have a plethora of skills. I'll have to thank your family for not keeping trade secrets someday," Karmen says. She pushes the doors open to reveal an elaborate chemistry desk surrounded by rows and rows of empty shelves that still smell of wood shavings. There is a vent hood in the center of the room that has a multiple layers of filtration before the other end hidden in a tree high above the island's surface. "And this room is completely air tight from down here?"

"As requested," he answers.

"You're such a dear."

-What are you going to put in here?- Camilla signs.

-I thought you said you would try speaking more around these two.- Karmen signs back. At least she's wearing the new outfit Winston had made her. Karmen had delivered it to her as promised just this morning. It's a simple purple tunic with black pants and a braided charcoal leather belt to match her new boots. The fabric is thin but the sleeves are long and the neckline concealing. Though she'd signed a few comments about them being rather plain Karmen hadn't heard any actual complaints about the outfit, which she interprets to mean they're more comfortable than expected.

-I don't feel like it at the moment.-

-When do you think you will be?-

-Give me a month.-

Karmen sighs. "Would one word phrases be too much of a start? I don't want the men to feel left out."

Camilla steps forward to enter the room but Winston is still standing in front of the threshold. She considers him for a moment, minding the hammer he has held against his hip. "Move." Karmen clears her throat. Camilla's shoulders slump in agitation. "Please."

Winston gives her a nod and steps aside, ushering her path with his hand. When she'd passed he gives Karmen a hopeful shrug. "It's a start."

"This will make a perfect workshop," Karmen says, deciding to let it rest for now. "Thank you all for your hard work." She begins unpacking her bag. She'd kept all of her supplies in it, always ready to rush off at any moment. She hadn't liked the idea of leaving her weapons lying around where anyone could find them. She doesn't want to carry everything around with her all the time and with new arrivals expected she didn't want any… accidents. And then there's the fact that she plans to fill up every inch of these shelves. She's itching to travel again and her quills hadn't stabbed anything other than that bolt of silk and a straw and wood target in the large cavern half a mile underground.

"I'll need to make an excursion or two to stock it properly, but this is a great start." She frowns at the low levels of her bottles. "I think it would be best to grow some plants here. I'll make good use of that garden we sectioned off. I think we'd best keep access to that area very restricted. The only people who will have keys are those of us in this room.

Everyone looks shocked. "You're giving her a key?" Pierce asks, pointing a thumb at Camilla. For once, she doesn't seem prepared to argue.

"I don't see any of you elbow deep in the gardens every day," Karmen says.

"That's because Camilla's always in the garden," Pierce says. "And she follows your example and threatens to stab us when you aren't around."

Karmen raises an eyebrow at Camilla who rolls her eyes and throws up her hands. -And?- Karmen sighs.

"We've talked about this. You can only threaten people when they do something to warrant it."

-It's my space.-

"It's everybody's food. You can't claim all the food. You've even got your own room," Karmen says.

-It's not the same.-

"Camilla, we're going to have people on this island in a matter of weeks. Some of them will need to help out in the gardens. It's just how it's going to have to be to provide for everyone. You're going to have to share your space eventually," she says.

-You can't.- The girl looks flighty at best, on the verge of panicky. She'd used violence as a barrier between her and other people and now her wall has a demolition notice.

"It's a necessity," she says. "I'm sorry but I can't change what is inevitable."

"You can't!" Everything afterwards happens so quickly that Winston and Saaresto don't have time to react. Fueled by emotion, Camilla's fist flies up, aimed for Karmen's nose. Milliseconds later something black and leathery from Pierce's direction flies up, aimed at her wrist. Karmen synchronizes and steps in between them, blocking both attacks at once with her hands, a sea prism feather dart is held against Pierce. He'd visibly weakened, but managed to stay standing. A dark shadow crosses her face and her fingers lightly dig into their skin. Pierce's transformation disappears instantly, leaving his plain hand behind. Camilla looks with a shocked horror between her hand, Karmen, and Pierce. Her breathing grows ragged and she takes a few steps back. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean…"

Karmen releases them both and unhooks the Whisht Room key from her belt. "Go downstairs and wait for me," she says, firmly pressing it into her hand before letting go. The girl turns and runs from the room. Karmen instantly turns to Pierce. "You idiot! You aren't recovered enough for that yet!" She scans him with her Haki, scrutinizes the color of his pale face, checks the perspiration on his skin.

"Instinct," is his only explanation. "It was just my arm. I'm ok."

Karmen's hand forms into fist and she beats it hard against his chest. "Law isn't here to fix you again!" she yells. "If you tear open your spleen you'll die!" She draws back to hit him again but he catches her wrist gently.

"I'll be more careful, Mistress," he promises softly. "I'm sorry for worrying you." He wraps his free arm around her and draws her into his bandaged torso.

She lays her forehead against him and takes deep breaths until she's calm. "Thank you for trying to defend me. I do appreciate the effort," she says, discretely drying her eyes.

"I overreacted," he admits. "I'll apologize to her later today when she's ready."

Karmen backs up and nods. "I think that'll be for the best," she says. "I'll go talk to her." She leaves them standing in her workroom and follows a winding path that descends into a private corner of the island where the second set of completely sealed double-doors stand, now slightly ajar. They'd named this room the Whisht, or hush, because once the doors are closed no one can hear what's being said on the other side. Karmen doesn't hesitate to push them open and close them firmly behind her. The room's stone walls are smooth and lead up to a small crack that acts as a simple air vent that does not take away from the soundproof quality of the enclosed space. At the moment the room is bare other than a few pillows Winston had made. Camilla is a crumpled ball against the far wall, hands in her hair and breathing heavily. She flinches as Karmen moves in and sits on a pillow beside her, remaining quiet.

"Are you going to make me leave?" she asks.

"Why would I do that?" Karmen responds, keeping her tone inquisitive while not portraying a specific emotion.

"I attacked you," she says. "Pierce transformed because of me." She curls up tighter. "He's not hurt is he?"

"You're concerned about someone you don't even like?" Part of her realizes that using this tone makes her sound like a viper. It could lull a person into a false sense of security before a strike. Her Secretary voice.

" _You_ like him," she says. "Just because I don't doesn't mean I don't see how important he is to you and how hard you've worked to keep him healthy. If I caused him to harm himself then you'd hate me."

Karmen considers it. Many people had harmed Pierce over the years, but she didn't hate them specifically for that. Pierce can defend himself on any given day. "You were scared," she says. "Though what you did was impulsive and wrong, you realized your mistake. That is what I find important." She puts her hand on Camilla's head like Kuma used to do to her. "Pierce is fine. He's sorry too." She takes her hand back and lays it on her own knee. "Now tell me about the gardens." Camilla swallows and lowers her head. "Does it have something to do with why you talk to yourself when you think you're alone in there?"

Camilla flinches. "You know about that?"

"Sometimes I like to be alone too," Karmen says. "And the caves echo." When Karmen can't sleep and she doesn't want to wake Pierce, who had taken to sleeping at odd hours of the day, she fades and walks the caves alone. She does her best thinking by herself. Sometimes she goes outside and climbs a tree. The thinner air in high places reminds her of her time spent sleeping in the crow's nest back on _Sunny_. Other times she checks the progressing growth of her apple tree. There's a little sapling that's quickly growing and healthy, but it may be a bush. She hopes it's an apple tree. Camilla would probably know, but this is something she wants to keep and tend by herself.

Most often she thinks about Luffy's message. The picture in the paper had been simple to decode. The captain wanted them to all grow stronger over the next two years and return to Sabaody. If she was to join the crew in the New World she'd have to tie up all her loose ends here on this side of the Grand Line, and this requires a lot of planning. She doesn't want to worry the others quite yet, so she does most of her panning alone and informs them on her decisions once she has a plan that doesn't require sacrifice and death. Every now and then on one of these jaunts she passes by or through the gardens and tends to find Camilla there speaking to the plants. Now that the War Room is set up, the third completely sealed room, she probably won't pace the caves as much.

Camilla wraps her arms around her knees and presses her cheek to her wrist as she looks away. "I buried Jade in the garden."

"Your sister?"

She nods. "I know her body isn't here, but when I talk to the plants it's like I'm talking to her. I don't expect you to understand."

Karmen exhales. "I've told you a little about my life before I became a pirate. I had a butler who was a Revolutionary spy. He was found out and killed right before I escaped. Pierce buried him at the edge of the vineyard under a tree where he wouldn't be disturbed. I can never go back to that island to honor his memory, so some days I sit by the ocean and talk to him. It's not strange to speak to the dead, especially those whom we were close to and who died violent deaths."

"Why the ocean?" she asks.

"Godwin was the man who taught me how to ride fish," Karmen says. "He was like a father to me and every time I needed to get away he would take me to the ocean. We'd stay there for hours trying to catch and ride the most dangerous thing we could find before the guards felt it was too dangerous and tried to kill it. Some of my favorite memories with Godwin involve the ocean."

"You say his name in your sleep a lot," Camilla says. "You fell asleep at the table and started mumbling. Everyone looked sad when you said it but I didn't feel like talking, so I didn't ask about him. Pierce held your hand until you stopped."

Karmen gives a half smile and rubs the back of her neck. "Yeah. I have a bad habit of doing that."

"If other people come to the island and they work in the garden, I won't be able to talk to Jade."

"There is one way," Karmen says, giving her a pointed look.

Camilla looks back blankly, then gasps. "You're serious? You'll teach me?"

Karmen nods. She stands and moves two pillows into the center of the room. She sits cross-legged on one and Camilla scrambles forward to sit beside her. They both face the door. "I know meditation isn't your favorite thing in the world, but let's give it a try. Close your eyes," Karmen says. "Remember the times when he came for you and the feeling you had when you wished you could just disappear." She senses Camilla grabbing fistfuls of fabric at her knees. "Just the emotion, nothing else. Focus on your heartbeat, your breathing, and the very function of your body. The blood pulsing through your veins, the electricity running through your soul, the core of your being. When you've found it, draw it into yourself. Ball it up and bury it. Meld it with your surroundings."

Camilla sits very quietly for several minutes. "Can you describe that in a less vague way please?" Karmen chuckles, but Camilla can't hear her. "Karmen?" She opens her eye and glances to where she was sitting, eyes seeking, but not tracking anything.

"It's a form of Observation Haki," Karmen says from the girl's other side, making her jump. She can't help but play with her a little. "You can see me up to a three quarter fade. Use that same ability, but pull it into yourself. It's a concept of perception. Nothing actually happens to you. You're still there. You still make noise. You still command a presence, but you make everyone around you perceive otherwise. Make them think that you aren't even there."

"You make it sound easy." She groans and leans over her knees. "How long did it take you to learn this?"

"I began developing it when I was twelve," Karmen admits. "Despite my upbringing I lived a protected life. No one was allowed to touch me, but it doesn't mean they didn't try. Ikaika tried to break my mind in every way he could imagine. I hated the way his business partners stared at me, so I found a way to make it harder for them, and Pierce made me hard to approach."

"So you and him," she begins. "Have you… you know."

Karmen blushes to the tips of her ears. "Kudra, Camilla! I-… I- no." She sits back down and covers her burning cheeks with her hands. "To be honest I've never even kissed anyone. Not a full on, actual kiss."

"Really?" she asks. "I thought for sure… I mean, the way he is around you…"

When Karmen thinks of all the romantic things that had been done for her growing up only images of greasy old men with wandering hands comes to mind. She sees piles of love letters, bad love poems, roomfuls of flowers, chocolates, clothing, jewelry, and other gifts. All in all, the idea of romance revolts her to no end and it seems to show on her face.

"Wow," Camilla says. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I'm not really the romantic type," she says. "Pierce and I have been together since we were children. We're partners. I trust him with my life."

"You haven't even been on a date?" she asks. "Gone to a café? Seen a play? Had a picnic? Gone to a theme park? I mean, I was a slave and I still snuck out to hang with guys every now and then."

Karmen blinks. "Well, I have been to an amusement park with a man a time or two."

"Pierce?"

Kamren shakes her head. "Someone from my crew," she says. "I used to go there with a friend. He saw my nostalgia and accompanied me."

"He won you that stingray plushy in your room, didn't he?" she asks with a sly smile on her face.

"What of it?" Karmen says, blank-faced and confused.

Camilla chuckles. "You don't have a romantic bone in your body." She wraps her arms around her legs. "I like that about you."

"Thanks… I think," Karmen says, leaning back on her hands. Not particularly having an interest in the subject, she changes it. "Keep practicing. You'll get it eventually." Camilla groans and Karmen laughs. "Just think. If you learn how to do this, you wouldn't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to. They won't even know you're there."

Inspired, Camilla closes her eyes and concentrates. Karmen lies down on her pillow and closes her eyes. After a minute Camilla opens one of hers. "I'm training and you're taking a nap?" she asks.

"Let's just say it's a technique I picked up from a crew mate," she says with a content smile. "And I'm training too. Reverse Observation Haki is all about perception," she says, thinking of her Second Soul technique. "In theory I can use it for more than making myself disappear."

"That sounds pretty cool," Camilla says, picking up on the thought process as Karmen makes a Secretary-shaped ball of Haki on the ceiling. "Can you teach me that too?"

Karmen chuckles. "Make yourself disappear first, dearie. That'll give me some time to figure out if expanding on this is even possible."

They stay like this for hours, eyes closed and minds focused. When they emerge both women are sweating and tired, so it isn't until she steps on wood shavings that Karmen realizes someone is outside the door. Pierce. Had he tried to claw his way in? No. Pierce is sitting against the wall, half asleep. The tunnel floor surrounding him is littered with woodworking tools. "I hope you don't mind," he says with a bit of a yawn. "I got bored."

Karmen pushes the doors shut to find an elaborate carving of herself riding a breaching Parvati out of the ocean and into a ray of sunshine, leaving dark clouds behind them. She swears the waves are formed of hundreds of tiny paw prints. Behind her a dozen people of all nationalities sit on the back of stingrays, celebrating and leaping. The picture is framed with broken chains stabbed through with quills and being choked out by flowers that Karmen knows from experience are toxic. The image covers both doors from floor to ceiling with a firm border framing them.

"You carved all of this while we were in there?" Camilla asks.

"She speaks," he says in surprise.

"Don't get used to it."

Karmen rubs her hand over the carving. It hasn't been sanded but the jagged edges are beautifully placed. He even put the three rows of spines into Parvati's back. "Pierce, this is amazing. For a blind man you really have an eye for detail," she says. "Where did you learn how to do this?" To her knowledge he'd never taken up woodworking on Valcour.

"There are loads of blind artists, just so you know. Most more talented than I." Pierce smiles down at his bare feet. "Godwin would give me lessons when you and Willow were out shopping," he says. "I never really had a chance to make anything then. I figured I'd see if I remembered what he taught me. I've missed him a lot lately." He gives Camilla a small wave. "Sorry about earlier. I was out of line."

"Me too," she says, regressing to her short responses. Two words instead of one, an improvement.

Karmen runs her hand over the carving again, a lump forming in her throat. What Winston's brothers had taught him, he had taught Godwin and Godwin had taught Pierce. "I can feel him in the passion you put into the image. You honor his memory," she says. "He would be happy to know that you were so attentive."

Camilla looks between the door and Pierce a few times, then kicks a curling piece of wood. –Is he going to clean this up?-

Karmen pushes a few tools aside and sits next to Pierce, eyes suddenly heavy. "If it concerns you then you can use it as mulch for the gardens," she says. "If not, then it can stay there until we wake up."

Camilla locks the doors and returns the key to Karmen. Before Karmen closes her eyes she reaches into her pocket and hands her something wrapped in cloth. "What's this?"

Karmen yawns and snuggles into Pierce's shoulder. "Your garden key, of course. I told you you'd get one," she says. "If you can't master the reverse Haki, you can still be alone in the poison garden."

Camilla holds the key tightly and tucks her chin slightly. –Thank you.- She signs around it. Karmen smiles and closes her eyes to sleep.


	57. Chapter 57: Extreme Degrees

**[Author's Note: I know in past chapters I used the English translation spellings for some things, but when I do research on certain characters it's easier to use the Japanese spellings and I feel that's what most of you are used to. So some of the spellings have changed, but the characters haven't.**

 **I've been really excited to get to this chapter. I have a few things planned for Pierce's devil fruit that get hinted at below. I'll talk about those things later on along with my reasoning for picking this particular type.**

 **On a side note, I've got to holler out to my girls.**

 **If you like authors who have their way with One Piece canon, you might be interested in Embers Among Gold by KeturahDiane. She and I have been discussing her story at great length and she has big things planned. Her fight scenes are very detailed and you can see her character growing with each chapter.**

 **Another person I am greatly fond of is WyseInk who writes fics for Yuri on Ice and Psycho Pass, my favorite being Two Nights In Paris on her page in AO3. She gives the characters a reflective view with subtle information that emotionally envelopes you into the chapters and the characters within.**

 **(Sorry if you don't like shoutouts. On to the story!)]**

* * *

 _Valentine's Personal Log, Day 42:_

 _I was able to remove the last of Pierce's stitches this morning. He stretched and flexed, trying to prove to me that his skin had healed enough to start training again. I could feel with my Haki that his spleen had stitched itself together again with strong scar tissue, but I still worry. Just because he can transform without dying doesn't mean he's completely healed. I see the scars marring his body, the glaring absence of his eyes, and I know that will take years._

 _He still asks me to check for eels every time he draws a bath. He still can't sleep with his arms outstretched but wraps them around himself or something else, anything that keeps them below shoulder level. Though he can transform now he practically refuses to unless I ask it of him, always reluctantly around the others, and yet now that he's relaxed about his health he still sprouts a little hair in his sleep. Sometimes he transforms when he thinks he's alone. I watch his hands change into heads with gnashing teeth, claws sprout from his spine. On one occasion I watched as he bashed one of the heads on his hands against the wall. It faded back into regular skin and his knuckles were left bloodied. He wrapped them and said nothing of it later and I made no sign that I knew. I know what he's thinking. I know how he feels. Neither of us can change what was forced upon him, but I want him to accept that it is a part of him, if not for the sake of his own strength then for mine. I can't bear to watch him go on like this for much longer._

 _Sometimes he hears a bird or a ray and he's convinced someone has found us, that someone is coming to ruin all that we've built. I keep thinking of the people who will be coming to the island in a few short weeks. To them he will not be my right hand. To them he will be just another patient trying to recover from the horrors he's lived through. I know that I have to be strong for him. For all of them. I'm just glad I don't have to to do it alone. I received a response from V today. I think a trip back East is just what the doctor ordered._

* * *

Winston and Pierce stand shirtless and barefoot in a large, open cave half a mile under Batoidea Island. "You're almost completely healed," Winston says. "But healing's left you weak. We're going to fix that."

"Take it easy on him," Saaresto says from his seat on a flat rock. "Two years chained to a wall atrophies muscles to no end. He's not going to be anywhere near peak condition."

"Come on, guys. It's not like I haven't been working out," Pierce says, rolling his neck and shoulders. He bends his knees and raises his fists, gets into a fighting stance. "Lay it on me."

And he does. Winston kicks his guarding hands away and plants a foot square in his chest, knocking him on his back several feet away and forcing all the air from his lungs. Pierce inhales deeply as he gets to his feet and takes another defensive stance. Winston sweeps his feet and plants an elbow in his stomach. Again, Pierce gets up, coughing slightly and wiping spittle from the corner of his mouth. This time he steps forward, taking the offensive, striking at Winston's head and chest with short, fast jabs. Every blow misses its mark and once again Pierce finds himself on the ground. "It's no use," Winston says after thirty minutes. "You can't go on missions like this. You'll be slaughtered in a heartbeat."

"I can still fight," Pierce says. His bare scars glisten with sweat. His breathing is labored and he looks shaky even stomach down, lying flat on the ground. "I'm not done yet."

Winston steps on Pierce, preventing him from getting up again. "You can't even get my foot off your back." Pierce struggles to push off the cold stone floor, but he's right. He doesn't have the strength to even lift him or roll to the side. Frustration fills him. He can feel it swelling deep inside him. Outside him. All over him. His skin bubbles with it as the transformations begin. Winston inhales sharply. "Pierce?" He stumbles backwards.

A strange and all too familiar scent reaches his nostrils. Blood? He can feel his body jerking at odd angles but he can't seem to control any of the changes happening to him. He hurt Winston. He's sure of it. His pant legs rip as something emerges from his shin. He curls into himself until he's on his hands and knees. One leg of his pants are completely shredded now but he can't stop transforming. His skin feels liquid and his heart beats a heavy buzz in his ears.

"It's alright." A soft hand is suddenly between his horns. Flowers overpower the blood and the transformations instantly stop. He can hear Saaresto rushing to Winston's side as the tailor sits down, favoring one side.

Pierce draws in a shaky breath. "Karmen?" He hadn't sensed her as she approached. She must have been cloaked. Maybe she'd been watching the entire training session. He extends his arms into a full bow, lowering his head to touch the floor. "Forgive me, Mistress. I cannot protect you as I am now."

"Winston?" Karmen asks.

"I'm fine," he says, his voice light. Too light. "He just scratched my foot is all. What was that, a claw?"

"He'll be ok," Saaresto confirms. "I've never seen a Zoan transformation like that before."

"It wasn't full, that's for sure," Karmen says as she smooths his hair. "I'm glad this happened now that your body can handle it," she continues. "You haven't done this since I took you off that wall. We'll train more tomorrow."

"Stop!" Pierce yells, voice echoing around the chamber. "Stop ignoring the issue. I'm weak and out of control. If I can't grasp my power then I am just the freak weapon they created."

Karmen's gentle hand moves to grind his forehead harshly against the stone. "If I hear you speak about yourself that way again I will poison you, do you understand me? It's only when you talk like this that you look weak."

"How can you say that?" he asks, spitting dirt from his mouth. She isn't letting up at all.

"You've been getting up again and again for the last thirty minutes. You keep saying you can still fight," she says. "So fight. If you can't stand what you've become then turn yourself into someone you can face in an echo chamber."

So she had been watching. "I can't even control what they did to me. Not well. Not when I'm upset," he says as she finally reduces the pressure on his head. "You see someone in me that I don't know how to become."

"Then you're lucky I have this," she says, waving something thick and crinkling in his face. Paper. It sounds expensive.

"Stationary?" he asks, his voice muffled by the floor.

"Raja himself delivered it just this morning. It's a letter from a friend of mine in the Grand Line. She knows someone who has transformations like yours. His is a regular Zoan, but he should still be able to help you," she says. "To be honest until I saw her response I thought he was dead. I thought that they might know a few techniques from working with him that might help you, but this is definitely in our favor. He's a sweet guy. You'll get along well, I think."

Pierce rolls over onto his back. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you get packed. We're going to see royalty, so bring something nice, but pack light. We only have two weeks."

"What happens in two week?" Winston asks as Saaresto treats his cut.

"Mating season is over, of course," Karmen says as if they should know this already. "When we get back we'll be preparing for our first mission."

"Don't tell me…" Pierce groans.

"Yep," she says happily. "Kudra's coming." When the pups are old enough to leave the island and head on to Chiyome Island on the other side of the Red Line, Kudra doesn't feel obliged to stay close to home, making her a powerful ally. They'd need her for the plan.

"We trust your judgement," Winston says. They hadn't warmed up to the giant stingray as much as Karmen had. No one else has her affinity for fish, especially after three broken ribs.

Karmen turns to leave the room and points to the shadows. "You're making progress, I see. Your job while we're gone is to spar with Winston. Hit him as hard as you can, if you'd like. Pierce even gave you a handicap." The men draw their attention to a dark corner where Camilla sits wrapped in a dark cloak. Now that they can see her they realize she hadn't disappeared like Karmen does, but she had masked her presence just enough to slip in unnoticed. Winston isn't sure that her mastering reverse observation Haki will be a good thing, but if it keeps her from stabbing him in his sleep… He'd make some special meals to prevent that from happening. Maybe he'd let her hit him a few times, just to be safe.

After changing into a fresh pair of water-resistant pants, Pierce finds Karmen at the ocean entrance to the caves tying equipment to Raja's harness and making final adjustments to air tanks and rebreathers. The giant male stingray waits complacently for her to finish. She turns to face Pierce as he enters, waiting for him to add his supplies to the luggage. "Transform," she commands. He obliges without a word. His nose and jaw extend, curling upward slightly, his ears elongate and flatten, moving up next to his horns. His hips loosen and his knees reverse. His fingers stretch along with the skin between them, lining the interior of his arms, stretching until they are almost unrecognizable as arms at all. His whole form shrinks to just over three feet and gray fur sprouts all over his body. The man in front of her is now a bat in pants. This is the SMILE fruit that Doflamingo and Ikaika had forced him to eat: the artificial Bat-Bat devil fruit, Gray Bat model. Her eyes linger on his empty eye sockets and up to his curving horns. She has to resist the urge to call him a bat-a-lope. "Mount up, fuzzy," she says instead.

They'd practiced this before, but never for long term travel. They both slide rebreathers and air tanks onto their torso's, Pierce's onto his back and Karmen's onto her chest. Pierce's setup has a long full-facial mask that slides easily over his snout, wrapping under his ears and latching around the base of his head. Karmen's has a simple respirator. When all their equipment has been adjusted Pierce climbs onto her back, setting his feet around her waist and hooking his clawed thumbs around her shoulders and neck, cloaking her with living leather. Sometimes, if they're just walking, he'll hook his arms under her armpits and tucks his head into her back, effectively hiding it. Camilla jokes that he looks like a fuzzy backpack. Even with all his equipment he only weighs forty pounds in this form. He sits around twenty-five unburdened. Karmen draws a strong red ribbon from her pocket and secures his wings in place before doing the same with his feet to her belt. Normally this step isn't required, but even artificial devil fruit users lose their will in water. This bypasses his immobility and allows her to maneuver the water for him, letting her protect him in his time of vulnerability. She threads her respirator under his wings and steps onto Parvati's back to depart.

"Here's a few more things you might need," Winston says from behind them. He walks into the chamber on a bandaged foot, carrying a mid-sized hatbox which he ties to Raja's back.

Saaresto follows him in, carrying three full wineskins and does the same. "This is my special protein mix," he tells Pierce. "It should be enough to get you through the desert and back."

Camilla steps in. –Don't leave me alone with these people.-

Karmen gives them a smile. "You all try to get along while we're gone," she says cheerfully. "Camilla, remember the rules. Don't go stabbing anybody that I wouldn't. And train hard. I'll be assessing you when I get back. If you've improved you might even get to come along."

-Whatever.- The teenager groans and stomps from the room. With her Haki Karmen can sense her stop just around the corner and do a happy little dance, practicing her fade all the way back to the gardens. Karmen shakes her head slightly and smiles. Spending some quality time with the guys would do her some good. She'd get tired of not being able to sign at them. Or she'd have fun signing rude phrases. Either way, it would be an interaction.

"We'll be back in a couple of weeks."

She sets the respirator in her mouth, inhaling her first mouthful of 50% oxygen, 50% canistered air, and gets a tight hold on Parvati's harness. The ray dives, closely followed by Raja. Karmen uses her Haki to make sure that Pierce's mask hasn't slipped and he's breathing well. The mask not only keeps his face enclosed in a pocket of air, but it keeps his eyes dry. They hadn't had any fungal flair ups recently and they don't want to chance it. The cold water quickly lulls him into a hibernation state. His six hundred beats per minute heart slows to ten. His body temperature drops until it is barely above the water temperature. His breathing slows. A regular bat can sleep for months like this. They hadn't tried it, but she thinks it's probably the same for him. The only problem is that, after sleeping for so long at a low metabolic rate, waking up burns a lot of energy. Saaresto had been very thoughtful to include the protein mix. Pierce would need it once they reach their destination.

Karmen's attention is pulled away from the deep-sleeping bodyguard by several large presences up ahead. They're still far away, but they could pose a problem. She can feel that Parvati and Raja have sensed them too. She makes a circling hand motion, asking if they'd prefer to circle around. Raja races forward in reply. Karmen grins around her respirator. The rays love an ocean challenge as much as she does. Leaning forward, she prompts Parvati to catch up to her mate. They spiral through the water heading straight for the nest of baboonfish Sea Kings. The pups are almost grown, rough scales turning into fur around their torsos and cascading back into scaled fins. Their little blue faces, puckered lips, and sharp fangs look so cute. And hungry. Raja acts like a decoy, drawing their attention and darting through their grasping fins and mouths. Parvati rides in and out of the current he creates, swimming through gnashing teeth and questionable projectiles. Karmen synchronizes with her and they move as one.

Far beneath them something larger stirs. It seems the activity of the young fish has caught momma's attention. The giant baboonfish races up, obviously a skilled hunter. She darts through her young, forcing Raja to make a sharp U-turn. Karmen stands on Parvati's back, drawing a quill, silently urging her to head straight for the wrinkled nose in front of her. The nose pulls upward, placing in their path sharp, glaring white teeth. At the last moment they dive out of the way. Karmen brings her quill up and pricks the fish's jutting chin with her quill. "Sleeping Spindle," she says, naming the poisonous flower she derived the toxin from. She can barely form the words around her respirator. She wonders how Zoro is able to talk so clearly with a sword in his mouth. She'd have to ask him in a couple years. The baboonfish lets out a large yawn and slowly sinks to the ocean floor in content slumber. Its children chase after her, still longing for a mother's protection. Karmen gives a rounded, sad smile and wishes them luck.

The rest of their trip East is fairly uneventful until they begin reaching warmer waters. Karmen can sense Pierce beginning to wake up behind her. Coming out of his hibernation state always takes about twenty minutes, depending on how fast he warms up. There is one cave that they use for food storage because the temperature always stays cold. Pierce's transformations use a lot of protein, causing him to want to snack on jerky almost constantly. One day he had been gone for a few hours. Karmen had found him curled around a sack of food. Law had warned her it might happen, but she was still… concerned. Not only was he extremely difficult to wake up while still in the store room, he is extremely difficult to drag in human form. Atrophied as they are, his muscles add on the pounds. When she had gotten him to a warmer cavern he had groggily opened his eyes, perfectly fine, and ate three times as much as he had originally gone after. His recovery appetite is nothing in comparison to Luffy's, but he could probably give Sanji and Zoro a run for their money. She wonders which one Usopp would be cheering on.

Pierce opens one socket in time to sense Karmen reaching up to pet a Sea Cat that is trying to simultaneously claw at Raja and swallow Parvati, and them, whole. This wakes him up in record time. Following Karmen's direction, Parvati sweeps smoothly over the cat's face, Karmen trailing her hand across its fur until her fingers slide off between its ears. They travel to shallower waters where the giant sacred fish can't follow. Karmen can taste the water change from salty to fresh. The rays wouldn't be able to stay in this area for long, but they'd last long enough to drop them off at the closest shore.

Karmen wonders how Alabasta has changed since the Baroque Works incident that had let the nation finally start to recover. Crocodile is gone so the sandstorms will have died down. She wonders if that old man had been able to dig out the oasis again. The revolution, no longer having a reason to fight, will have disbanded. All the citizens would have returned to their families to aid in rebuilding the country. She hopes the people are happier now that they can receive rain. She can feel the life that's returned to the land in the strength of the river current they're swimming against. It's much stronger than when they had passed through it months ago. She wonders how green the palace gardens are, how vibrant the deserts.

It takes thirty minutes to reach the upper river. Karmen can sense banana gators around them, but none seem hungry enough to attack. She hopes Parvati and Raja make it back to the ocean alright. The fresh water is beginning to take its toll on them. They breech onto a warm sandy bank that Karmen finds very familiar. She traces her fingers over the scalding sands of the shore before untying their things from Raja's harness and before remembering that Pierce is still tied to her. She releases the knots on the ribbons and he rolls to the ground with a sopping plop. He scrapes off their diving gear and ties it to Parvati's harness before plopping down on the hot ground.

"Good morning," Karmen says. "This place is perfect. I can get so many poisons in a desert and I can go get plant samples from Little Garden for Camilla to cultivate." Her eyes sparkle. "Have you ever heard of a Desert Strawberry?" she asks. "They can kill a person without any symptoms twelve hours after the initial bite. I can't imagine what kind of time delay components I can derive from its toxins. This is going to be so much fun. Do you know they have giant scorpions her? Giant. Scorpions. And snakes. Sooo many snakes. While you train with Pell I'm going on a field trip. You can't stop me, so don't even try." She sets their stuff on the bank and watch Parvati and Raja swim at top speeds downstream. "Pierce, aren't you going to say goodbye to… Pierce?"

Karmen turns around to find him panting, shielding himself the best he can with his wings. Despite their brief departure from the water Karmen is already almost dry. Pierce, however, is still soaked. Horrified, she realizes it's sweat. "Too hot," he pants. Karmen curses under her breath. She'd forgotten that while gray bats hibernate in cold temperatures, most bats die in extreme heat, especially those already in a weakened state. She curses a little louder and begins tossing things from the bags until she comes to her poisons. She takes a syringe and a vial and injects him with a blue liquid. She can feel it lower his temperature almost immediately. He breathes a little easier and steams slightly. "What… was that?"

"Algidity toxin derived from the snowberry," Karmen says, sighing with relief. "It gives the victim symptoms of hypothermia. It should keep you alive until we reach the palace." She pulls him into the shade of a rock and uses the lid of the hatbox to dig down to cool sand. She then drags Pierce into the hole to cool him further. She tosses a bag of the protein mix at him before turning to the contents of the hat box.

"This stuff tastes like chalk," Pierce says as he drinks.

"It's life-saving chalk," Karmen says as she digs through heavy red fabric to find a hand crafted tricorn hat with silver scrollwork. It's roomy in the crown, obviously made to fit over Pierce's horns. She throws the cloth over Pierce and puts the hat on her own head. "I'll be back. Stay in the shade." She reaches under the cloth and hands Pierce the syringe and toxin. "If you start to overheat again use this." She digs through her poisons again and hands him another bottle. "If you think you're freezing to death, use this. It's the antidote."

"You must be desperate if you're trusting me not to overdose myself by accident," Pierce mutters.

"I'll be back for you, I promise."

"Wait. Where are you going, Mistress?" he asks weakly.

"To hitchhike."

There's a pause as he tries to figure out if she's joking or not. "I trust your strategy, Mistress," he says finally.

Karmen latches her poisons to her belt and sets off into the desert with a little water and a bunch of rope. She checks his vitals one more time with her Haki before setting into a run. Her knee-high boots keep out the sand, but not the heat. She doesn't care how much her toes sweat or how badly her feet blister. Time can't be wasted. She follows her Haki into the desert, scanning the rock formations for large life signs. After two hours she comes across an area that's littered with boulders. There are several life signs amongst them, but Karmen focuses on one. It is fifteen foot long from head to barbed tail. She uses her Haki to sneak around the rocks until she can see it. A giant star-clawed scorpion, named for the yellow burst patterns on its pincers. Its long legs pound the sand as it walks, devouring some giant insect it had captured. These scorpions are said to have venom that could kill a banana gator with one drop. Karmen gives it an exhausted grin and wipes sweat from her eyes. She's beautiful.

Karmen holds a quill in one hand and the rope in another as she steps openly towards it. "Sync." The stinger comes down heavily into the sand as Karmen leaps over it and runs along the sequences of the tail. She looks for the weak points in her armor as she goes, tying to keep most of her Haki trained on the next attack, but also probing for a vital point. She runs out of tail and leaps. The scorpion turns as she lands. She quickly ties a lasso and casts it over a claw that is thrown out to crush her torso. She puts all her weight on the rope and uses the momentum to slide in the sand underneath it until she feels the rope get snapped in half instead of her. The scorpion dances side to side, trying to move out from above her. Karmen slides from side to side to prevent it from catching sight of her again. Sand pours into her clothing, but she can't stop to shake it out now. She ties another loop and pays close attention to the strain and movement of the animal's muscles as it preps for its next attack. Karmen quickly checks the amount of armor above her head. The scorpion's underbelly is softer to absorb heat during the day. She levers an angel trumpet variant into her quill and pokes it into the softest tissue she can find. The scorpion prances angrily around her and, in between rolling to avoid being impaled, she lassos the rope over the claws and scrambles out, feet kicking up sand as she pushes herself upright.

She'd been working on this toxin for a few weeks now while she waited for Pierce to recover enough to travel. It took the mind-numbing effects of the angel trumpet and removed the self-mutilating tendencies. It left the victim in a semi-hypnotic state that made them highly suggestible. She'd coined the name "Flexile Somnolence" but tended to shorten the name to "flexomn" for time's sake. For now she finds it too hot to name any of her attacks. Instead, she waits for the toxin to kick in. She hates having to use one at all, but she doesn't have time to tame it properly and unfortunately it would be dangerous and troublesome to bring her back to Batoidea. Too bad. Camilla would probably get a kick out of it. Soon the angry scorpion becomes docile and stops stomping around, swaying gently and seeming to admire the trailing rope bracelets. Karmen hops onto her back and rides her back to Pierce.

The bodyguard is not doing well, she finds. His shallow pit had warmed up and the Algidity toxin is half gone. "What is that?" he asks, teeth chattering slightly.

"Serket here is going to give us a ride to Alubarna," she says.

"You named it?" he asks incredulously.

She hops down and begins transferring their things to the scorpion's back. "It's a she, dearie. Now let's get going before you really get sick."

He climbs onto Karmen's back and she throws the heavy red cloth over them both, securing it in place with the tricorn hat to block the aggressively bright sun. As they travel across the desert Pierce's chilled fur goes from tepid to steamy to almost downright unbearable. She silently urges him to hold out a little longer, afraid to give him any more of the poison. While it helped him, too much could cause lasting damage. She's not sure which harm she'd rather risk.

Karmen checks Pierce's vitals again as they approach Alubarna's giant walls. His heart is racing at 1,200 beats per minute, putting strain on his barely healed spleen. Much more of this heat and all the healing he'd done over the past month will be reversed. She prompts Serket faster, approaching the capitol at a full on sprint. When they reach the wall they climb it instead of going through a checkpoint at a gate. With a snap of the reigns the giant scorpion leaps to the nearest rooftop, scattering a few ceramic tiles, sending them crashing down to the streets. They move through the city this way, causing small frights in the streets and ignoring the calls of cease and desist from the spear toting guards. Expecting most problems to occur at street level, none of them can make it up to the rooftops in time to catch up with them, so they run along the ground ensuring that no citizens come to harm. Karmen appreciates this. She can't help where the tiles fall and would rather not give anyone a concussion. She does call "sorry" a few times.

The irony is not lost on her in the difference between her visits. The last time she'd been to the city she'd been trying to avoid attention at all costs. Now, quite frankly, she doesn't care if she had a waving banner tied to the scorpion's tail. Accepting one's role as a pirate and being a part of Luffy's crew will do that to a person. It is not until a line of guards block the rooftops in front of her that she thinks she might be drawing a little _too_ much attention.

"Stop!" the apparent leader calls out.

"Sorry, dear," she calls back. "Medical emergency." She places a hand on Serket's head and expands her fade, extending her Haki to cover the scorpion as well as its two passengers. Karmen finds the looks on the guards faces simply adorable as they disappear. They're able to loop around a few balconies to pass the guards but Karmen can't keep them faded for long. Two people puts enough strain on her Haki but Serket's size alone would have put excessive strain on her without a passenger. She can see the palace only a few blocks ahead. She can keep up her efforts until then. The reigns snap again and the smarter guards follow them by the trail they leave behind. Soon, if they hadn't already, they'll figure out the general direction and try to run ahead.

That's when Serket begins to buck. Not much, but enough to get the message across that her toxins are wearing off too. She changes her plans, instead leading the scorpion to the tallest nearby building and leaping the palace wall, skidding to a halt in the courtyard amongst the sound of alarms. "Carue!" she yells as she unfades, yelling as loud as she can to cut through the horns and bells. Not more than a second after she is visible again is she surrounded by forty palace guards, all pointing their spears at either her or the scorpion. Beneath the cloth she unbuttons her left sleeve and rolls it up past her elbow. She uses her left arm to reach out behind her and grab a bottle the size of her torso from their luggage. Once this is secure she uses a quill to cut the ropes securing the rest to the scorpion's back. Their things clatter to the ground as the alarms stop, guards seeming to feel the only threat will soon be contained. "Sync. You all might want to step back, dearies." She can sense the duck running down the palace hallways while the scorpion fights for control of its mind, claws already snapping in frustration. Carue leaps from the palace steps, rushing through the guards towards her. Serket's tail rears to strike at the movement. Karmen unhooks Pierce's clawed thumbs from her shoulders and flings him at the duck, red cloth and all. "To the basement! Hurry!" Once he cools off he'll be ok, she thinks. She knows. As soon as Pierce is free she turns on the scorpion, hat flying from her head, and leaps directly into its stinger. Her feet are skidding across the ground and the stinger is digging into her side as Carue catches the sack of bat and skids around to run back towards the palace.

The guards stare at Karmen, shocked. She'd sacrificed herself to get whatever that was to Carue. It must be of vital importance. She has a satisfied grin on her face and determination in her eyes, even as her body fills with toxins. They can hear it pouring into her. She'll be dead in seconds.

Wait.

The guards take a closer look. Karmen had caught the stinger in the bottle. The yellow venom pours into it. When it's almost full the scorpion rears back, flinging the bottle with it. Karmen refuses to let go, corking the vial mid-air before landing on the stinger itself. She balances there on the tip of her boot before sliding down the tail and grabbing the cut rope. Serket focuses on her, snapping her claws and stabbing with her stinger. The guards back away, terrified of the sudden turn. Karmen protects her new resource more than her own body as she dances around the claws and legs and tail. With one final push of effort as the stinger shoots forward for another strike, she slides underneath the scorpion between her legs and leaps over it from the other side, pulling the rope with her and hog tying the creatures' main weapon to its body. Karmen sits on the arching tail, hugging the bottle to her. She can't wait to taste it.

She senses Vivi, Chaka, and Pell before she can see them. She doesn't turn around to face them, mostly because she's still riding the bucking scorpion as it arches its claws, trying to reach her and tear her in two. It dances in a circle with effort but her claws are unable to reach her. Karmen tucks the bottle under one arm while gripping a section of the tail and thrusts her left fist into the air, showing the "X" that's still tattooed on her forearm.

"Are you trying to make good on your obituary?" Vivi jokes.

"Sorry about the commotion," Karmen says between giggles. Realizing they at least know each other, the guards lower their weapons slightly. "We came as soon as we got your letter, but we had a few complications." She leaps down and stabs the scorpion in an armpit with another dose of venom. Soon it's complacent enough to stick a person's head safely into her pincers, not that anyone other than Karmen and Vivi would try it. She sits comfortably on Serket's back and cuts the ropes loose again. "I'll escort this dear back outside of the city and make my way back here. Can Pierce rest up in your basement until I get back? He and the climate don't seem to agree. We can catch up when I get back."

Vivi closes her eyes and gives Karmen her characteristically warm smile. "I can't wait."


	58. Chapter 58: Alubarna Strawberry

Karmen walks through Alubarna in full fade. She'd found something before returning to the city, new scorpion venom in tow, and had been running on an emotional high of adrenaline and endorphins before passing back through the gates and seeing the state of the people around her. After riding a star-clawed scorpion through a city to save a friend she can kind of understand Luffy's tendency to disregard property damage during a fight, but it doesn't make her feel any better about causing it in hindsight. Though the damage Serket caused to roofs is minimal the people are still shaken up. She stops where she can to clean up broken tiles, juggling the giant bottle of scorpion venom awkwardly as she clears, so it takes her about two hours to make it back. She sneaks past the guards and searches her memory for the location of the basement, not wanting to spook anyone by popping up in front of them to ask for directions. She hadn't noticed their luggage in the courtyard. Vivi must have ordered it to be carried inside. She lowers Pierce's new hat off her head, letting it hang against her back from the cord. She doesn't need protection from the sun in here.

Karmen had spent most of her free time on the second floor and roof last time she was here, so it takes her a bit of wandering to find a staircase that leads down. She can feel the air temperature change drastically with each step. She gets an eerie reminder from the night she rescued Pierce. Ikaika's basement had been cold like a wine cellar. Like this basement.

If just the temperature of this place reminds her of Valcour...

The sweat on the back of her neck feels suddenly cold and she runs the last half of the stairs, only to stop at the last one at the sound of retching. She unfades and takes steady steps towards the sound. She sees Pell and Chaka first. Chaka still has his helmet haircut and a duty filled gaze nearly as strong as his jaw. Pell looks alive and well with his cultural markings painted on his face. They're standing over Pierce as Vivi mops his fevered brow with a handkerchief. Her blue hair is ornamented in jewels and gold. She looks like the princess she is. Carue stands by, seemingly to act as an errand bird if anything is needed. Trails in the slight dust on the floor makes Karmen think he'd already made a couple trips upstairs.

"It's about time," Pierce groans. He's in human form, propped up against a painted pillar with a large, sloshing bucket between his knees. The red cloth from Winston's hatbox is draped around his shoulders like a blanket. His pale face looks green and still soaked in sweat. Not hearing her approach before Pierce had, they all look towards the stairs. Even without Haki, she walks with a soft step.

"Hello everyone," she says when she gets a little closer. They greet her cheerfully as she turns to Pierce. "How do you feel?"

"Disoriented," he says.

"I was worried that you'd wake up and…" She feels like saying more would be to draw too much attention to his trauma.

He shakes his head. "I almost did," he admits. But…" His head turns towards Vivi. "She wears your perfume," he finishes. "I knew you wouldn't give that to just anybody, so I'm ok. Really, I'm ok." He retches into the bucket again. "Mostly ok, anyway."

"It'll pass," Pell assures them. "It's been a while since I've seen a case of heat exhaustion this bad."

When Karmen is only a few steps away they all turn to welcome her properly, but all of them freeze as soon as she steps into the light thrown by the oil lamp on the wall. "What?" she asks. She doesn't think her bout with Serket had left her clothes torn. A little dusty, maybe. She feels sand in places that sand shouldn't be. Ok, maybe a lot dusty.

"T-there's a strawberry in your hair," Vivi says slowly, as if raising her voice might dislodge it.

"Stand very still," the Jackal guard captain says carefully, drawing his sword. "I'll take care of it." Chaka aims his weapon carefully. He lunges at the strawberry and Karmen dances smoothly under his blade, saving the little fruit from certain dismemberment.

"That's quite alright," she says, giving them a smile. "Sherryl and I have an understanding."

"You named it?!" Vivi yells. "That thing can kill you!"

Pierce gives a little chuckle and everyone looks at him, confused by his casualness. "You actually found one? I thought you were taking a long time to get back." Perhaps the sun had fried his brain.

Karmen tucks her finger under the strawberry and eight legs unfold from it, latching onto her hand. The colorful fruit is actually the fabled and deadly Desert Strawberry spider she'd been dreaming of for months. "I found her when I was letting Serket go. I've already milked her for the day and everything. She'll be a great help for my research."

Vivi sits back, a little shocked. "You mean you actually did it?"

"Did what, exactly?" Pell asks.

"Maybe it would be best if you showed them," Pierce says, lifting his head from the bucket a little.

Karmen lets the spider fall back into place in her hair and sets the giant bottle on the ground in front of her. "You all remember me milking the star-clawed scorpion in the courtyard, yes? And you're all aware of how deadly a single drop can be?" They all nod. She wraps one arm around the cork and the other around the bottle's neck, giving a twisting lift using her hips. The cork sticks for a moment before lifting away with a felt-like pop. Her left hand slides from the warm glass and into her bag, returning with a small ceramic sake cup. She dips it in, yellow liquid parting around it and dripping from the rim as it's lifted free. Karmen drinks it like a shot of liquor. She can feel the venom sliding down her throat, leaving a fiery trail to her stomach and spreads warmth throughout her body, especially her cheeks. She feels… happy. This venom might take a little more getting used to than she'd thought. "Wow, that tastes amazing," she says with a small giggle. She puts the cork back on the bottle with a heavy push and hugs her venom cheerfully.

"Are you… tipsy?" Pell inquires, taken aback.

"It's that strong?" Pierce asks. He looks like he's torn between saying something else and throwing up again. He decides to keep his mouth shut, just in case.

"Not tipsy," Karmen says. "Just fuzzy, dear." She sits on the bottle so no one can try to take it away. "Serket's venom is 10,000 times stronger than the bloodroot toxin I was growing accustomed to when I first came to this kingdom," she says. "And maybe that example was a bad one because scorpion and snake venom are the only things that I can get drunk on." Zoro would call her a lightweight. She wonders how his liver handles alcohol this strong. He'd probably drink barrel after barrel and be perfectly fine. Sword-wielding showoff. "I was planning on making a trip back to Little Garden at some point to restock." She gives Vivi a grin. "Want to relive old times while these guys whip my bodyguard into shape?"

"Absolutely not. Me-me-me-me."

Karmen grips the lip of the bottle and leans back to see an upside down Igaram approaching with the smiling King Cobra. "Hey. You were dead once too," she says. "We should start a group." She gets up and gives them both a polite bow. "It's great to see you both, Igaram, Your Majesty." They politely bow back. She introduces Pierce who sets his bucket aside to stand and bow in return. He doesn't sit back down, but looks uneasy on his feet. He still doesn't trust himself to open his mouth, so he squares his shoulders and stands like a soldier.

"You had us worried when we read that you'd died," Cobra says.

"Well, you have to make things look pretty convincing when trying to pull one over on the world government," she says.

"You can tell us about it over dinner," Igaram says, returning her smile. "My wife's preparing a feast."

Karmen looks at Pierce. "She'll be cooking for a small Luffy."

"Forgive my intrusion," Pierce says. "My diet requires large quantities of protein." It's obvious that he's making an effort to not run back to his bucket or speak while clutching his stomach. More sweat drips from his hairline while they assure him that the kitchen is well stocked and that his appetite should pose no problem.

"Would you like to freshen up before we eat?" Vivi asks.

Both of them are suddenly hyper aware of the dirt coating them and the strong smell of sweat radiating from where they stand. Karmen closes her eyes, already able to feel the onsen washing away the grit coating her lower back. "That sounds amazing." She gives Pierce a worried glance. "Think you can handle a little hot water?"

"I'm feeling much better, Mistress," he says. "Thank you for your concern." Despite his words there is slight tension in his voice and he nearly falls over as he adjusts his stance.

Pell catches him and pulls his arm around his shoulders. "I'll take care of him," the guard says with a soft smile. "You go get cleaned up. I look forward to speaking with you over a meal."

They walk upstairs together and separate at the split door to the hot spring. Karmen enters the women's side with Vivi and inhales the humid air nostalgically. "This time my male companion can't peek on us," she says, giving Vivi a wink.

"He woke up complaining about sand in his eye sockets," Vivi responds with a giggle. "He actually thought I was you for a few seconds."

"He must have been really disoriented and going off just smell then," Karmen muses. "He's really good about being able to tell a person's height using echolocation." Despite the similarities in their muscle tone and frames, Karmen is a few inches shorter than Vivi. She hooks her finger under Sherryl and lets the spider latch onto the laces of her boot far away from the steam of the bath.

They undress and Karmen sits on a stool to rinse off before entering the water. "No eels," she calls over the wall. She thinks she can hear Pierce give a sigh of relief. When she slides in next to Vivi she's greeted with a thankful smile. "I was really happy to receive your letter," she says. "I didn't want to believe that you were dead."

"I was surprised that Pell was still alive," Karmen responds. "I could have sworn that bomb blew him sky high."

"Well, it blew him to Euba," she says. She exhales reflectively. "You were so guarded last time that I was surprised to hear that you had a friend who needed help. I understood a little more when he transformed back."

"He's new to his abilities and that's left him frustrated," Karmen says. "He was forced to eat the fruit as an experiment, which angers him even more. I was just hoping that you or Igaram or Chaka had remembered some of Pell's training techniques, but when I read that he was still alive…" She closes her eyes and smiles. "It warms my heart to know that you didn't have to say goodbye to such a dear friend."

On the other side of the divider Pierce politely waits for Cobra and the palace guards to enter the bath and invite him to join them before he settles into the water and exhales slowly. The warm water calms him and he can hear the distorted vibrations of Karmen's voice through the wall. He didn't want her to worry, but the truth is that waking in a basement had shaken him. If it hadn't been for Vivi wearing Karmen's perfume he might have had another panic attack. He vaguely remembers Karmen saying that she'd given Vivi and Nami portions of her perfume when she'd first made it. She'd said their names so fondly that it almost pained him that she has no idea where her crew had been sent. Kuma knew what he was doing, they were sure of it, but that didn't make being separated any easier.

The Nefertari family had shown Karmen a rare kindness and friendship. The way she spoke of their love and sacrifice for their people made him wonder how her life would have been different if she had grown up in a place like this. If the Nefertiri's of 800 years ago had become Celestial Dragons like the others Karmen would have had no one to turn to. This castle echoes with rich history of such decisions. He could hear Karmen's eyes sparkle in her voice when she spoke of this place and now he knows the reasons behind it. Alabasta is everything that Valcour was not. If Gallowcomb did not exist, he feels Karmen could live happily here.

"I think I understand now." Cobra's voice cuts through Pierce's thoughts.

"Hm?"

"When Karmen was here last time, she was frightened that she would be discovered and that word would get back to the island," he says. "Forgive me for saying this, but I can see why now." Even though Pierce doesn't have any eyes, he can feel their eyes on his scars. Cobra clears his throat and the sound of his breathing turns away.

"It did, eventually," Pierce says. His hand absentmindedly traces the marks the shackles left in his wrists. "That's why she threw herself off that cliff. She felt that if she escaped with certain documents she could ensure my safety without having the government looking for her. It worked for about two weeks." Those two weeks had been a much needed respite from the two years of torture. Saaresto had been able to give Pierce what medical care he could and some of the nastier wounds were able to close somewhat. He didn't heal quickly in sea prism, but it had probably saved his life. If there was ever a single man Ikaika feared, it was Kuma. Unfortunately that fear had eventually turned into a wish to dispose of the evidence in the most sadistic, drawn out way possible. Had it not been for Karmen on both occasions, he would undoubtedly be dead. "I would have been satisfied knowing that she was free and living a life where she could smile freely, as her friend Usopp put it."

"I remember them being close," Chaka says with a smile.

"So I'm told," Pierce says. "I haven't met them yet. Sir Luffy dictated a two year leave." The Alabastians seem surprised by this. "I'm afraid my Mistress will not be able to restrain herself while she is here," Pierce continues. "She's been talking about snakes and the like ever since our departure."

"We certainly have plenty of those here," Igaram says.

"She's grown a lot," Cobra muses. "It would nice to see her and Vivi find men and become happily m-" Pierce's hand is over the king's mouth so fast that he creates a tidal wave in the hot spring.

"Forgive my inappropriate act, Your Majesty," he says. "But I must ask that you refrain from using the 'M' word in Karmen's presence." He steps back, bowing upon retreat.

"If I remember right, she was at her second pre-wedding banquet when she jumped off that cliff," Pell says. "Am I correct in interpreting that she would rather die than even consider it as an option at this point in time?"

Pierce directs a small bow to Pell. "She can't even be in the same room as silk without trying to set it on fire," he says as he lifts his head, remembering Winston's hidden bolt, may it rest in peace. "You are a very observant man. I look forward to learning from you."

Pell smiles. "Anything for a friend."

Vivi, who had been listening intently after hearing the splash, leans forward and speaks quietly. "Is that true?"

Karmen sighs. "I guess the connection between Baldwin and I wasn't kept out of the papers." She leans against the rocks. "I let myself get captured to steal a few things, but yeah, that was the nature of the event. I got to poison a lot of stuck up jerks, had a really nice dance, and got to lose the name 'Gallowcomb' forever, so it wasn't all a waste."

"I'm not ready to settle down either," Vivi says. "There's too much to do."

"Yeah, your country is recovering. Who could think about romance at a time like this," Karmen says.

"What about you?" Vivi asks.

Karmen points a thumb to the divider. "As soon as we whip him into shape we're starting an all-out shadow war."

"Shadow war?" Vivi echoes.

"I'll tell you more at dinner," Karmen says, grabbing the soap. "I don't want Pierce sitting in the hot water for extended periods yet. He'll end up back in the basement if he soaks too much longer."

They finish washing. Pierce hears their movement and does the same so the others follow suit. Soon they are all dried off and dressed in fresh clothing. They make their way into the banquet hall where food is being laid out on the table. Karmen pauses as the others move to their seats and Pierce instinctively remains just behind her right shoulder. "Please allow me to say this properly." She bows deeply. "Thank you for allowing us to impose on your home and services. We are very grateful for your hospitality and generosity." Pierce bows with her.

The royal family and guard blink in surprise, then smiles. "We're just happy to see you alive and amongst friends," Cobra says. "Sit and eat with us."

They don't have to be asked twice. As they eat, Karmen relates the events from her last visit up to the current day. Pierce listens as intently as the Alabastians. She leaves out certain details, mostly about Kuma, Mihawk, and Doflamingo. She feels protective of the people in the room and hopes the less they know about her involvement with warlords the better. She suspects Cobra knows that there's more to the story, but he politely keeps his lips pressed into a smile. He's so fatherly and understanding that she wants to hug him. Or, she would if she was much of the hugging type. Cobra is definitely the type of guy she would hug, especially with a name like his. "So, while Pierce is training here," she concludes, "I'll be roaming the local wildlife and seeing if there's a snake pit I can throw myself into." Her eyes sparkle at the thought.

"You must be worried," Pell says.

Karmen's fork stills and she stares intently at her plate. She sighs and closes her eyes. "I worried a lot, being one of the weaker members of the team, but I learned one thing in doing so." She sets the utensil down and smiles up at him. "My crew can get themselves out of any pinch. Wherever Kuma sent them, in two years we'll all meet back at _Sunny_ stronger than before. This time, I don't plan on being left behind." As she says this, she fills her sake cup with star-clawed scorpion venom. "I'm going to leave worrying for what to wear to the reunion." She downs her shot, cheeks instantly flushing. "When we leave here Pierce and I are going to go see my old family," she continues, pink face growing serious. "There are slave operated vineyards and wineries as well as private ports that we're going to destroy. We've got it all planned out. We'll sneak in, do some recon, get out all the innocents, and scare the living crap out of the rest. I cursed the Gallowcomb name when I jumped off that cliff and I'm going to make good on it."

"Do you need any help?" Vivi asks, despite Igaram's instant sounds of protest.

Karmen shakes her head. "We've been training our people in covert techniques that will improve our chances of success. Adding more people now would just slow us down, not that I don't think you aren't perfectly capable." She winks at the princess. Pierce doesn't react to her statement, but he can't help but wonder why she makes it sound like they have more then Winston and Camilla who might be the slightest bit battle ready for their first mission, and Camilla is stretching things a bit far. Winston may not even leave the island. There was always Kudra and the rays, but they weren't any help outside the water unless... Karmen studies the trace amounts of liquid left in her cup as she swirls it around. "Keeping our unit small will help us sneak more people out. I can't sit around while they suffer." She looks up at the serious faces at the table and pastes on a big grin. "So let's make sure we get lots of training in while we're here, starting tomorrow. For now, let's just enjoy being here."

It doesn't take long for the others to join in on the drinking. Pierce successfully takes her scorpion venom away only after her third shot. The first two times it mysteriously disappeared from his hands and reappeared in Karmen's. The third time she was too drunk to actually cloak herself. She even waltzed around him three times because she thought he couldn't hear her. The others got a good laugh and she ended up leaning against Vivi giggling into the back of her hand. She doesn't get completely wasted, but Pierce, thankfully revitalized by the food, decides it best to carry her on his back to her guest room. Pell waves them off from the doorway as they go. "Training starts first thing in the morning."

"Scorpion venom is so much better than bloodroot," she says, snuggling her cheek into Pierce's shoulder, swaying slightly with each step he takes.

"No nausea?" Vivi asks. Her cheeks are a little pink, but she can still walk straight without using large quantities of Haki.

"None. It taste so much better," Karmen says. "Like honeysuckle with the warmth of sunblade and hint of bitterness, like death from a kiss."

Pierce cocks an eyebrow over his shoulder. "That doesn't make any sense."

"If you can come up with a better description you're welcome to taste," she says. "Wait. No. Let me make an antidote first."

"How about you get some sleep first, Mistress," he says. "Your breath smells like a desert cactus."

"You say the sweetest things," she says with a giggle. "That's one of the best parts about building a poison immunity. You get to experiment." She leans over, causing Pierce to frantically readjust his hold to keep her from falling. "Vivi, you have to come out to the desert with me tomorrow. Igaram will let you do that much, won't he?"

"They'll probably be following us disguised as bushes, but I'm sure they won't mind," she says. "It'll be fun doing something dangerous with you again."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Pierce drops her off in bed, removing her boots and carefully transferring Sherryl to the bedside candlestick. The spider immediately starts spinning a web. Karmen slips out of her canister belt and snuggles into the sheets, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Will she really be alright with that spider?" Vivi asks.

Pierce shrugs. "She'll have an antidote for the venom within a week, tops. If she says she's made some sort of pact with it… her, then I wouldn't see any reason to doubt her word," he says. "She's able to connect with animals on a greater capacity than I've seen outside of you and Carue."

"I raised Carue from a duckling," Vivi says with a smile. "And Chopper was here last time we tamed animals in a day. I guess it helps when you can understand their language."

"You seem as fond of her crew as she is," Pierce says with a warm smile.

"They saved my country and my father simply because we asked," she holds her hand to her chest and smiles at the fond memories. "I consider them dear friends. Karmen couldn't be in better hands." Vivi gives him a grin. "Except, maybe yours."

Pierce gives a small scoff. "Lately it's been the other way around. I came here to change that."

Vivi places her hand on his cheek, carrying the familiar perfume from her wrist to his nose. "You have a strong heart. I know you'll be able to reach your goal."

Pierce's smile softens as her hand falls away. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You can just call me Vivi."

"Lady Vivi, then." She guides him into the next room and leaves him to prepare for bed.


	59. Chapter 59: Training

Vivi waves her hand in front of Chaka's face. "He really can't see us?" she whispers.

"Or hear us as long as we don't break contact," Karmen says with a giggle. "You don't have to be quiet." She pulls Vivi down the hall, careful not to lose her grip on her forearm. "Come on. This will give us a head start." Knowing they would be hard stretched to get out of the palace without a guard, Karmen had written a quick note and left it on her pillow dictating that they were stepping out for some girl time. If there was one thing Karmen didn't want to experience again from her life as a noble it's constantly being followed around by people who might get in the way of her work. Not that the Alabastan guards would prevent her from hunting down dangerous animals, but all guards get a "kill first, apologize later" attitude when a situation seems deadly but is otherwise perfectly handled. Karmen plans on keeping everything she encounters alive and feels this is the best way to go about it.

She'd loaded a pack full of empty vials and specimen jars with some water and enough food for a lunch out on the sands. They really didn't plan to go far, but she wanted Pierce to focus on his training, not what snake she'll have curled under her pillow that night. They get outside and Karmen instantly spots Lashes, the adorned guard camel, being groomed by three female servants. His eyes are heart shaped and he has a Sanji worthy expression on his face. Karmen directs her cloak so that he can see them and his face brightens instantly as they approach. "Hey buddy," she says. "Would you mind giving us a ride into the desert?"

He nods furiously, startling his attendants, eyes shooting hearts. Vivi gives him a winning grin. "Thank you, Lashes." He lies down and they climb onto his fabric-draped back, careful not to break contact, and Lashes trots off palace grounds, leaving the trio baffled by his sudden departure. "You could go anywhere like this," Vivi says excitedly as they trot through town.

"Mostly, yes," Karmen says. "It gets a little tougher around people who have strong observation Haki. I used to only be able to do it if no one was looking at me. I've gotten stronger but I can't hide from everyone yet. I'm surprised your guards didn't notice, actually."

"They'll go on a full training course after they realize what we've done," Vivi says, unable to keep herself from giggling. She smiles at the sky. "It'll be good for them. They've been looking for ways to improve themselves since Crocodile was taken down. You've given them a higher standard to strive for."

"Oh, you give me too much credit," Karmen says, unable to hide a smile. "Those dears would beat themselves black and blue if it was for you and your father. You give this place hope and amplify everything you come in contact with. Your love for your people is palpable. Remembering that places like this exist will help me in the months to come." She glances around at the smiling people they're passing. "This will be the image I strive for."

"I wish I could come with you," Vivi says, smile faltering. "Hearing the kind of childhood you described, the life you came from… it's almost too much to bear." Tears well in her eyes. "I had no idea what you were going through when we first met. I'm sorry."

Karmen turns in the saddle and places a hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Don't cry for me," she says. "I have more support than I could ask for. It's the slaves I worry about. Even when they're out of their shackles they won't be entirely free." Her eyes scan the city. Even now, months after the battle with Baroque Works there is still lasting damage. "Just like your country, they will have a long recovery process until they can stop looking for monsters in the dark."

"But you have your own monsters to face," Vivi says.

"Those guys are on the other side of the Red Line by now," Karmen growls. "I'll go find those cowards after I reunite with my crew."

Vivi looks surprised. "You're going to wait that long?"

Karmen gives her a reassuring smile. "I can't do it all alone. The Gallowcombs and Davenwells have powerful pirate allies on top of being protected by the navy. If I'm going to take them all out then I'm going to need my crew." She faces forward again. "For now I'm just going to make working with them very difficult."

They reach the outer limits of the city and the guards open the gates for Lashes, not finding anything wrong with the camel wanting to take a desert stroll. When they're outside Vivi lets go and Karmen drops the cloak. "There was something else I've been meaning to mention," Vivi says. "You shut down pretty fast last night."

Karmen leans over to examine a rock cluster for any signs of life. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It's ok to be scared. I was."

"I'm not worried about the rescue missions."

"So what are you worried about?"

Karmen curls slightly into saddle. "I'm going to have dozens, maybe even hundreds of traumatized people in my care. Not all of them will have families to return to. We've got everything ready to start their rehabilitation so that they can regain a healthy mentality and live normal lives, but I don't know anything about being a leader." She hangs her head. "I'm not the princess of a country or the captain of a ship. I'm just a girl who can't stand to lose anything else."

"I guess I can't give you much advice on how to start things off since I've always been a princess," she says. "But you've got the qualities of a leader, even if you're afraid to show them. The important thing is that you listen to your people. Find out what they need. Don't be afraid to show them that you're human, but remember to stand tall for those who are too weak to stand on their own. It takes hard work and dedication, but you have what it takes. I know you can do it."

Karmen looks over her shoulder. "You think?"

"You're brave, determined, and you're willing to make sacrifices to protect people you care about," she says. "Infiltrating Baroque Works was one of the scariest things I've ever done, but you grew up in a situation like that. I remember what it's like having to watch your every move. It's exhausting and stressful knowing that one wrong decision could cause someone to suffer. I can see how 'killing' yourself was the only way to find the freedom to just breathe. Change is scary, but scary isn't always bad. You just have to make sure that you show the scary things that you can be scary too. And you have powerful allies who are willing to put themselves through Hell to make sure they're strong enough to back you up, because you know what you're fighting for is right and much more powerful than anything they can create. People fighting with their full strength for the right reasons is enough to make any enemy second guess himself."

"I have been told I can be pretty frightening," Karmen says with a small chuckle. She's suddenly feeling a lot better. "Do you think Pierce is going through Hell right now back at the palace?"

"Probably," Vivi admits. "Pell speaks softly and always has something insightful to say but he can be ruthless when it comes to training."

"Well then I'll try my best too, just to keep things even." She picks up the reigns and urges Lashes into a trot.

She finds a rocky area that, according to her Haki, is crawling with life. Crouching low, she stares face to face with a serpent. It's black tongue flits curiously, defensively from its arrow-shaped head. Large venom glands sit just behind its eyes, puffing up, flexing its golden scales. "Sync." She sways with the serpent, face mirroring the movement of its head as it raises into a coiled position. She follows it by sitting cross-legged in the hot sand.

"Karmen," Vivi says cautiously. "That's the Icarus Viper. The bite makes the victim think they can reach the sun, making them jump off high places. If they don't it still kills them after six hours."

"Then his venom will be a nice addition to my collection," Karmen says with gentle awe. She begins making the initiative, leaning in and swaying her head side to side in a serpent-like fashion. Almost hypnotized it follows her movements as if she were a snake charmer. Deciding it doesn't want to be charmed, the viper rears back and strikes with lightning speed. Vivi gasps, but Karmen brings a bottle up at the same speed to meet its fangs, milking several large drops of venom. The serpent strikes again only to meet the glass of the bottle. This continues until a fourth of the bottle is filled and the snake has exhausted itself. Seeing as Karmen is not actually threatening him or trying to keep him there he decides to slither off into the rocks. She smiles happily at Vivi. "This will last for months," she says. "I can't wait to study it."

She finds spitting lizards, twelve different species of vipers, six cobras, and twenty-three types of scorpions. She milks them all, finding enough of each to fill several bottles. Vivi is good at spotting the reptiles and has interesting facts about them including some mythology about where they were believed to come from. Karmen takes all of this into consideration while thinking up names for attacks. She thinks that most of these will go into her lunches. After they eat they decide to head back to the city.

Chaka and Igaram give a sigh of relief as the girls ride Lashes back into the palace. "Pierce was only able to translate half the braille message you left for him," the guard captain says. "He rushed out into the sunlight and got sick again. Pell took him downstairs and said they'd begin training as soon as he recovered." They thank him and Vivi goes to get cleaned up.

After putting her samples in her room Karmen walks into the basement and frowns. She can sense Pierce in the room but his presence is coming from thirty feet above floor level. She follows a column up to find Pell in half-beast form clinging to a small ledge of the column with clawed feet and holding a very bruised Pierce by the ankle with one hand. "How's it going?" she asks. Pierce's cheeks flush and he turns his face away.

Pell looks thoughtful. "I think it would go better if you stood directly under him," he says.

Karmen moves into place without argument. "Here?" She looks up into Pierce's horrified face.

"Mistress, please move," he pleads. "I can't… I haven't been able to do it."

"If you don't want to crush her, fly," Pell says flatly.

Karmen smiles up at him. "I trust you."

Pell lets go.

There is a snap of leather and Karmen is suddenly encased, rocketed into a horizontal position, and rolling across the floor with feet in her face. Despite the sudden shock of being swept off her feet, she is completely unharmed. Pierce had taken the brunt of the impact, adding more bruises to his back and extremities. He groans and unfolds his wings before they shrink back into his shoulder blades. Sitting up, he brushes his hands over her face and shoulders. "Are you ok?" he asks.

"Fine."

"Good," he sighs. He leaps at the column, hands and feet forming claws that dig in as soon as they make contact with the ancient stone. "You crazy bird-man!" he yells, practically fuming as he climbs. "I'll pluck every single one of your feathers!"

Pell chuckles and pushes off the column just before he's within reach. His wings extend out as he fully transforms into a falcon. "You'll have to catch me first." Pierce opens his mouth as he leaps from pillar to pillar, unable to keep up. Karmen wonders if Pell can hear Pierce's supersonic calls that he uses for echolocation. "It's become obvious that you aren't self-motivated," he continues. "So let's give you some." Karmen had barely gotten up to brush herself off when Pell's claws hook under her arms and she's lifted off the ground until his wings brush the ceiling. The flurry of his wings buffet her hair around her face and makes it hard to hear. She looks down. It's a thirty foot drop from the tips of her toes. A fall from this height would be crippling if not life threatening. She thinks she knows what Pell has in mind. "Do you still trust him?" he asks.

Karmen looks up at Pierce's gaping mouth and wide sockets. Her eyes close and she extends her arms out wide. "With my life."

Pell drops her. Pierce leaps from the column, arms stretched forward to catch her.

His arms wrap around her torso and his wings snap open, then a second pair, then a third. The six wings alternate awkwardly, but they carry them both gently to the ground. "With all due respect," he says, breathing heavily into her hair, "you are both insane."

Karmen peeks around his arms to look at his drooping wings. "Six, huh?" she says. There's the two usual ones coming from his shoulder blades, two more from his lower ribs, and the last pair from kidney level.

"It's certainly different," Pell says. "Let's do it again."

Pierce's grip on Karmen grows tighter. "Not on your life."

"But it's not on his," Karmen says before cloaking herself. Despite his best efforts he can't keep her from slipping from his grasp. She appears a few columns away. "Go for round two." Pell has her snatched up before Pierce can even turn around.

"If you want to protect her, come and take her from me," the guard captain challenges. "You aren't a fighter, but you are a protector."

"I can pretend to be in distress if that would help," Karmen says. "Save me from this strong, capable warrior before he takes me out into the burning sun."

"That is not helpful, Mistress."

"I could drop her again," Pell suggests. His claws "slip" and Karmen releases a complimentary gasp. Pierce instinctively tries to take off. His six wings tangle and he crashes to the ground. Karmen flinches in sympathy. "Concentrate. It will become easier with practice."

Pierce closes his eyelids and takes a deep breath. The lower pairs of wings shrink back into his skin. He focuses on control of his original set. Karmen closes her eyes. "Sync." She can feel the muscles flex in his back as he extends his wings, the stretch of his skin between his long, sequined fingers, the warmth of the blood flowing through them and how it accelerates with each ounce of movement. She can tell that he can feel the pull of the air beneath them as he resists gravity and begins to pull away from the ground. She opens her eyes and watches him rise towards her, mouth slightly open to echolocate and avoid obstacles. His wings are just as powerful as Pell's, or maybe more so. Their aerodynamic qualities slice through the air, propelling him upward. He hovers for a moment, getting used to the strain of unused back muscles and the falling, tingling sensation in his stomach. Pell keeps Karmen just outside of his range as he pursues them.

As time goes on they move faster and begin fancy maneuvering. Karmen has to move to Pell's back to keep from growing nauseous. They perform this change in position by Pell dropping Karmen and swooping under her just before Pierce could snatch her out of the air. She giggles and waves at Pierce. "You almost had me that time. Keep trying."

Pierce pants and narrowly dodges a pillar. "You almost seem to be enjoying this, Mistress."

"It's not every day that I get to fly and Pell has some beautiful feathers," Karmen says, stroking the base of his wing as he pulls into a glide. "If you ever lose any be sure to save them for me," she tells the guard. "They'd make great quills."

Pell chuckles back. "I'll keep that in mind." Karmen watches Pierce for a while. He's been slowing down recently. He hadn't been dodging columns as well and his wing beats were beginning to desynchronize. Pell notices as well and lands, setting Karmen securely on her feet before transforming back into human form. "We'll call it there for the day," he says.

Pierce lands gratefully and runs his hands over Karmen's arms to make sure she hadn't been scratched. "I'm fine," she says. "You?"

"I have no complaints, Mistress," he says. Almost immediately after his stomach growls loudly. The sound echoes around the basement for several seconds. He leans against a column and folds his hands over his stomach. "Ignore that, please."

"Of course, you need protein. All these transformations must have taken a toll on you," Karmen says. "Actually…" Her stomach growls slightly too. "Vivi and I were having so much fun out in the desert that we only ate half our lunch." They both turn their faces towards Pell.

He smiles knowingly. "Dinner will be in an hour. We can go clean up to pass the time."

When they exit the bath and head to dinner, Karmen and Vivi find Igaram and Cobra giving them faux glares of disappointment. "Sneaking out like a bunch of teenagers," Chaka says, joining in on the ruse.

"We didn't even leave the island," Karmen says, admiring a bottle of amber venom. "Wait a few days and we'll give you something to really worry about." Cobra can't help but laugh.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," the king says. "I do hope you're being careful."

Pierce sniffs towards the bottle. "Is that viper venom?" he asks. "What effects does that one have?"

"Vipers?" Igaram asks.

"I don't think we should mention the part where you held your hand out to the cobras and said 'bite me,'" Vivi whispers to Karmen. Pierce snorts.

"Don't worry, Iggy," Karmen says. "I'll have antidotes for all the samples I gathered today before the week's out."

She pours a fourth of the bottle in her hand into her tea and sips it happily. "I made one for this ten minutes ago." She sets another bottle on the table. "If I keel over put a few drops of this under my tongue."

Pierce leans closer. "What kind of venom is it? You never answered me. Does it make people bleed from their eyes?"

"Eyes, ears, teeth, you name it," Karmen says, taking a big swig from her teacup. "And it tastes like cactus fruit mixed with copper."

"That's very specific," Pell says.

Karmen wonders if she's responsible for Pierce's fascination with viper venom. She thinks of all those hours she spent reciting scientific facts about snakes and venom to him while he'd been unconscious on Law's submarine. How much of all that had he actually heard and how much information had he stored subconsciously? "How long before we can use it on an overseer?" Pierce asks.

"Let me spend some time with Sherryl and I'll get back to you on that," Karmen says. She doesn't mind the idea of making someone who whips slaves for a living suffer a little, but she doesn't want to send anyone into full blown organ failure. Viper antidotes would have to be very thorough. "Be patient, dearie."

After dinner Karmen heads to the roof and stands near the edge, looking out over the shimmering desert under a full moon. The last time she'd been here she'd had black bruises covering her back and she'd had too many toxins running through her veins to be of any use to the crew. Now that meager amount of bloodroot and red poppy seems laughable. She could take that dosage with breakfast and keep piling them on until lunch. She'd had her first real connection with Sanji on this rooftop. It was the first time she had been willing to take a passive role in her activities and let others take care of her for a change.

She senses Vivi climbing the stairs after her. She wonders how often the princess comes out here and just revels in the kingdom that she had saved, in the fact that she had made it home alive at all after things had seemed almost hopeless, in how much her people love her and her father. It must be a humbling and beautiful emotion to behold. She doesn't turn around when Vivi walks up behind her but she can hear the smile in her voice. "I remember you coming up here to think," the princess says.

Karmen smiles back. "I can't help but miss the crew while being here," she admits. "I trust them all to be ok, but I can't help but wonder where Kuma sent them. They'll be so much stronger the next time I see them. I'll have to work hard so I don't get left behind." She looks at Vivi. "At least I get to see one member of the crew." She fidgets with the lining of her collar. "I found something out about a week before we were all separated. I've regretted not being able to tell the rest of the crew while I could, so I'd like to tell you, if that's ok." Vivi gives an encouraging nod. "In an attempt to recruit me, Doflamingo revealed that I was not born into the Gallowcomb or Davenwell families. I have no memory of any other family but the Gallowcombs, so it's my belief that I was taken as a young child or even as a baby. Someone very powerful who knew my parents made a deal with the nobles to keep me from the kind of harm Pierce has suffered. Despite this, they were still planning on killing me indirectly through the marriage they had arranged.

"For the longest time I was afraid to be claimed by a name that was not my own. Learning the truth was like finding out that they had forced me to marry into the Gallowcomb name without my knowledge. I jumped off that cliff so that I could rid myself of it, to claim and be parted by death. I kept the name Valentine because I have no memory of my maiden name and it's the only thing I can hold onto without questioning the very nature of my existence. I know who Valentine is. I created her. The child taken from their home and used as a pawn… I don't know who that is. My whole life up to the past two years was lived as a slave. Sometimes I feel like I'm planning on rescuing people in captivity so I can figure out who I really am. Is that selfish of me?"

"What's wrong with being selfish every now and then?" Vivi and Karmen turn to find Pierce standing behind them. With the cooling night air he's actually able to step outside without almost dying. In fact, if it weren't for the warmth seeping from the building he'd be risking hypothermia. Mihawk would have tried to slice Karmen up for letting her guard down enough to not notice him coming up the stairs. "You've been selfless your entire life," Pierce continues. "You sacrificed your personality, safety, and mental stability to try to make sure that other people didn't have to suffer through the worst that humanity has to offer. You've acted as a shield the entire time I've known you. You came back to the place that bore the worst memories of your life to rescue someone as insignificant as me. Even now, here amongst your friends, you aren't letting yourself relax. Not really."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you are far from insignificant?" Karmen asks.

"You're missing the point!" he yells. He clears his throat and composes himself. "If you need to be selfish to get to know the person I aspire to be like every day then so be it. Drink another vial of poison. Take a joyride on Parvati. Kidnap the princess and go to Little Garden. Heck. Call Master and tell him you want to go apple picking." He runs his hand through his hair and paces a few times. "If you want to know why Master made a deal that saved you from this," he waves his hand across his chest, "then ask him. Ask Saaresto. Ask your Uncle. Heck. Hunt Ikaika down and ask _him_ at the tip of your quill. But no matter what the answer, only you can decide who you are and whom you wish to become."

Karmen looks over at the princess. "Vivi, I think this rooftop might be magic," she says. "Every time I come up here I end up hearing the exact words I need." She reaches under Pierce's arms and pulls him into a hug. "What would I do without you?"

Vivi smiles. "I'll let you have a moment alone." She heads towards the stairs but pauses and turns back to them in the doorway. "And even though it's confusing, I can't help but be happy that you don't have to associate yourself with the Gallowcomb name. I agree with Pierce. I believe you'll be rescuing the slaves for selfless reasons, but I hope you can find some answers along the way."

When she is gone Karmen turns to Pierce and asks, "do you really look up to me that much?"

He rests his chin on top of her head. "Figuratively speaking. I wouldn't have signed on for a second tour if I didn't. The Karmen I know is an amazingly strong person." He smooths her hair. "I'm sorry I suggested calling Kuma. I know that's not something that's safe for either of you to do." His hand pauses on the back of her head. "Why haven't you asked Winston and Saaresto who your real parents are?"

Karmen laughs through her nose. "It's not because I haven't been dying to," she admits. "I know they're still alive, so if they haven't contacted me after all this time then it can only mean two things. Either they're under just as much surveillance as I was, or they don't really…"

He holds her tighter. "Don't think like that. There isn't a person in the world who wouldn't want to get to know you."

"I've been hoping that's the case, but do you really think so? They wouldn't find me morbid and creepy?"

"That's the best part about you. My Karmen isn't herself if she doesn't consider stabbing someone three times on a slow week."

Karmen can't help but laugh. "I don't care if you never fight again, if your armament Haki stays undeveloped, or if you never use any of the training you received here. Your support is invaluable to me. You make me a stronger person. Thank you for staying with me."

"As if I could let you go on these dangerous missions alone," he says. "I'm not as repulsed by my transformations as I was a week ago. I promise to train harder. I want to be able to offer you more than verbal support, so don't let me hold you back from doing what you need to do, even if it means putting us both in a lot of danger, even if you need to set this whole revenge plan aside to find your real parents."

Karmen exhales against his shoulder. "I haven't asked Winston or Saaresto because if I know who and where my real parents are then nothing will keep me from rushing to them while they're still being watched and used. If I do that, then we'll all be caught up in it again. I have to get Ikaika and his cohorts out of the way so that we can enjoy our reunion. I can wait until then." Despite her words, her voice trails off slightly at the end.

"You really are the most selfless person I know," Pierce says with a marveling sigh. "At least take a small vacation? For me?"

"I do like the idea of going back to Little Garden," she says. "If I do, it'll most likely be a week long trip. Would you be alright with that?"

"I'll work hard while you're gone." He lets go of her and kneels, resting his forearm against his knee and settling his other hand flat on the roof. He bows his head, ponytail falling over his shoulder. "I have a request, Mistress."

She's a little surprised by this sudden action but knows he wouldn't take this humble position if he planned on saying something that would upset her. "You don't have to bow to make a simple request," she says, almost laughing.

"Since you gave yourself your first tattoo here in Alabasta, I would like to request that you give me one once my training here is complete."

"That's perfectly reasonable," Karmen says. "I can't say I'm very artistic. Are you sure you want me to do it?"

"It would mean more to me if it were from you," he says.

"Alright then, I accept," she responds. "What do you want and where? I'm drawing a line below the waist, so just know that a tramp stamp is as low as I'm going."

Pierce snorts with laughter. "Mistress, I could never ask something like that of you." He shakes his head as he lifts it to smile at her. "I'd like the Master's mark in the middle of my back."

This surprises her. "Where a slave mark would be? After you tore up your papers? I mean a paw print would be simple, but I'd like to know your reasoning."

"To commemorate what he saved us from."

Karmen walks around him and places her hand where his requested tattoo would be. A tattoo on his spine would be painful, but not as much as the hoof print brand of the Celestial Dragon. And instead of the three pointed toes, he'd have the four rounded pads that had provided them so much comfort and support and security. She can't think of a more fitting tattoo. "I'd be honored to fulfill your request at the end of your training."

* * *

[Author's Note: Hey guys. It's my birthday week again, so I thought I'd keep up the tradition of posting a bonus chapter for you guys to share in the festivities. This month The Scarlet Secretary passed 19,000 views, so I wanted to do something special for that as well. Thank you guys so much! To those of you who read 30-40 chapters a day, you amaze me and your commitment is impressive. Please remember to take breaks to get some water and stretch at some points. Self-care is important.

Also, I completely forgot to tell you guys the story behind Pierce's Devil Fruit in the last chapter! (My bad. I got really busy.)

Ok, so I'm a super emotional writer. I decided the details of Karmen's backstory around the Skypia arc, ~April-July of last year. I kid you not, I was crying as I typed Karmen's Confession (Yeah, yeah. I'm a big sap.) I so thoroughly depressed myself that I decided to make Pierce one big Batman joke (SoulAuron totally called it in that last review). Every time I thought about him it made me laugh and that helped negate the un-regretted sadness I felt for what I put these two through. Other than him living in a cave, being an orphan, and a virtual Swiss army knife fighting for justice, he really has no correlation with the Dark Knight. He's just the way he is to make me happy.

That being said, I still did about a month of research before I settled on the gray bat. As I was telling KeturahDiane the other day, I bounced around between the that, the flying fox, and the Honduran White Bat. For a while I considered making him one of the bat species that had big teardrop shaped noses and giant ears. About the same time I settled on Parvati's species of stingray (the Undulate) I decided Pierce's fruit. I was on an endangered species kick and I loved their free-standing feet. I felt I could do some interesting things with their susceptibility to White Nose Syndrome (a fungus that causes them to act strangely, wake during hibernation months, and often expend so much energy that they die), so keep an eye out for white fuzzies.

I find bats adorable and they are very important for the environment in ways that I will humorously tie into story in a later chapter. Bats are social animals and do not survive well outside of their colony. I felt this was very fitting for Pierce, who has only known one kind of life from a young age (Again, see later chapter).

So that's the story. I needed a laugh and I love bats. Batman also happens to be my favorite superhero, but that's beside the point. I hope you enjoyed the little informational blurb and thanks for reading! You guys make me happy every day. I appreciate each and every one of you who have read this far. You make writing worth while and I love you all.


	60. Chapter 60: To The Garden

"Seeing as I'd like to continue to be welcomed in your country and I don't want you to worry unnecessarily, I would like your permission to 'kidnap' Princess Vivi and Carue for a few days and go to Little Garden," Karmen says to King Cobra, voice echoing around the marble throne room. Catching Igaram's wary eye she raises her hands and smiles. "I'm talking four to seven days, tops. At the first sign of trouble she will be back on Parvati headed for home."

Vivi stands beside her, batting her eyes at her father in a way that Karmen knows he won't be able to refuse. "They say taking vacations is a good way to boost productivity," she adds in. If Karmen could high five her discreetly without fading she would have.

Cobra smiles in his warm, concerned, fatherly way. "Well, I do think it's important for you to have some time with your friends, but I remember you describing that island as a dangerous place. Didn't Nami almost die from a bug bite?"

"If that happens then we know how to find Drum Island and Parvati and Raja swim faster than any ship can sail. They have all their doctors back now and we know exactly who to talk to. And this time there won't be Baroque agents trying to kill us," Karmen says. She hooks her arm through Vivi's elbow and bats her own eyelashes. "If anything delays us I'll send Carue with a note explaining everything. We'll be really careful, so please, Your Majesty?"

Chaka chuckles and Igaram can't help but smile along with the king. "Well, it sounds like your backup plans are backed up," he says, stroking his beard. "You have my permission to go." Karmen and Vivi rush him for a hug, laughing through their thanks and excite chatter.

Pierce smiles from near the doorway and waits patiently for Karmen to approach. "Have fun on your visit. I'll look forward to your return."

Karmen smiles at Pell who stands next to him. "Try not to bruise him up too badly. I'd like to take him home in one piece."

"I'll do my best, Karmen," he says with a friendly smile of his own. "But ultimately that's up to him."

She holds her chin in thought for a moment. "If you find he's needing motivation, threaten to rip this to shreds," she says, giving him her veil.

"Mistress, I wouldn't make offers such as that so lightly," Pierce says, looking paler than usual. "You love your veil."

"Which is why I know you won't let him tear one stitch in it." She gives Pell a wink. "I have faith in you." She turns back to Vivi excitedly, eyes sparkling. "Let's go pack." She grabs the princess' hand and they rush from the room.

Half an hour later Karmen has all the large crates she'd brought in on Serket loaded in a cart pulled by Lashes and two ducks. Pierce sighs from the shadowed palace doorway. "Women. They never pack light," he jokes.

"Oh please," Karmen says. "I won't come back with any of this stuff. All this is going home to Camilla. She'll have it in the garden three days after I send it out."

"Are your stingrays really that fast?" Vivi asks as she settles onto Carue's back.

Karmen pats her own duck's neck. "Imagine if these guys could run on water," she says. "They're one of the fastest stingray species in the ocean."

With a few hugs and a wave goodbye they set out for the Eastern coast, arriving just after the sun's position begins its mid-afternoon descent towards the watery horizon far behind them. The water is a welcome sight after the hours of desert heat. Vivi had barely even broken a sweat and Karmen watches her from the corner of her eye, wondering what sort of desert princess sorcery she wielded to make this possible. They dismount and step to the tide line. No convoy of fish are in sight and nothing but driftwood floats on the surface. The secretary doesn't look worried. "How do they know where to meet you?" Vivi asks.

Karmen kneels by the water, her flat palm flat against the surface. "Stingrays are related to sharks and both species have electromagnetic sensors in their noses and around their eyes. I can send out bursts of Haki into the water to let them know where I am and they know what I want them to do when I give them an order, like this." She slaps the water three times. Within thirty seconds Parvati, Raja, and five of their children surface, the dark stripes on their back mimicking the water rolling off them. "Meet my aquatic friends," she says. "Rays, this is my friend Vivi." They breech and slap down noisily into the water in greeting, effectively splashing them both.

Vivi giggles and holds up her hands to protect her face. "They sure are energetic."

Karmen holds a hand to her cheek in mock embarrassment. "They don't get to meet my friends often, so when they do they like to show off a little." She lets the rays splash around a little longer. "Ok, ok. You're just making a scene now. Settle down. We're on a time crunch here. His Royal Majesty will have my head if I don't get his daughter back at a decent hour so let's load up and show her what you can really do."

Parvati flips a playful jet of water at Karmen who ducks it and gives her a jesting finger of warning as they settle down and rest peacefully on the surface. Karmen divides the boxes between the four younger rays, all the while telling them what an important job they're to perform in assisting with transportation. They all seem pleased to assist their mother's bond partner. Vivi smiles as she watches them. "It's obvious that you really care about them," she says warmly.

Karmen rubs Parvati's back fondly. "Parvati and her family are my family and ranked just under Pierce in my chain of command. I'd do anything for her and I know I can rely on her at all times. She's the best sea pancake companion a girl could ask for." Parvati tackles Karmen in a sudden show of affection, submerging her under the water as she's nuzzled. Her rider comes up sputtering but laughing. She'd never minded being sopping wet. She'd needed to wash some of the sweat out of her clothes anyway. "Love you too, Par." She climbs from the water and extends her dripping hand to Vivi to help her board. "Would you like the honor of riding her to Little Garden?"

Vivi looks pleasantly surprised and accepts her hand. "I thought for sure you'd be riding her," she says, taking the reins to the ray's harness.

Karmen steps over to Raja and gathers his reigns in her hands. "I get to ride Parvati all the time. You're an honorary guest amongst our ranks," she says. "Besides, I can't let Raja here feel left out. With him being Parvati's life-mate it practically makes us in-laws."

"Your family is certainly diverse," Vivi says with a laugh.

Karmen grins at her. "I grew up with racists. I do my best to disappoint them every day." She turns to Carue who is on the fifth juvenile stingray. "Are you ready to go?" Carue quacks and salutes, indicating his preparedness. Karmen slips Sherryl into a protective jar and tucks her securely into her clothing. Desert spiders and the ocean don't get along too well. She sets her feet in Raja's harness and tests the straps. "Then what do you say we turn this into a race?"

Parvati and Raja instantly become serious, eyeing each other competitively as their tails swish through the water in anticipation. Vivi seems just as eager as them. "I'm not experienced in fish riding, but I'll give it my best shot."

Karmen meets her eye. "I'll give you a handicap. I won't even synchronize with him. That will give you some advantage." Vivi bends her knees like Karmen to prepare herself for a burst of speed. "Three, two, one, go!"

Vivi yells as the rays take off, Raja and Karmen easily outpacing them. "You said you weren't going to synchronize with him," she yells over the rushing waves.

"Oh, I'm not, dear," Karmen calls. "If I was I wouldn't even need the reigns. Just wait though. Par has some tricks up her sleeve."

Sure enough, Parvati gets a sly expression in her eyes and she slides on over towards them. Raja tries to edge away, knowing what she's planning, but she puts on a burst of speed and catches up. She slips ahead of him slightly, sliding her tail across his fins. Raja begins to buck, fins desynchronizing as he's tickled. Karmen drops to her knees to stay upright. "Is that cheating?" Vivi calls with a laugh.

"The only rule in a fish race is 'try not to get eaten.' Or, the good ones at least," Karmen says. "I was in one where my eel was rammed by a bull frog and I was thrown thirty feet across the water like a stone. I was so jealous that Julia Ellsworth was bitten on the leg. She nearly lost it and it left the coolest scar. It was jagged and it spiraled down her thigh where the skin had torn."

Vivi gives a nervous laugh. "Let's just keep this a speed contest."

Karmen winks at her. "Don't worry. These two are head over fins for each other and the life-bond policy includes friends. You're under my protection, physically." Karmen gets a sly look on her face. "Emotionally, you're about to get stomped."

She taps her foot and puts her weight on the balls of her feet. At this signal Raja races forward. While he is faster, Parvati has experience on her side. She prompts Vivi to bend low with one foot forward to reduce air friction, leg helping to cut the water and reduce water resistance on the rest of her body. Karmen remains standing and her legs get battered by the waves that swell around them. Despite this, Raja makes large waves and Parvati has to swerve to keep Vivi upright. This allows Raja to keep his lead by a wide margin. He slows a little to conserve energy and his mate slowly inches forward, closing the gap. Parvati is right on their tail when Raja catches a current and shoots ahead once again. Vivi and Par jump in quickly but are already trailing. They stay ahead until Vivi urges her ray forward. Par gracefully cuts through the water. Soon her nose is level with her mate's. They stay neck and neck for several minutes until a large rock appears on the horizon.

"Let's make that the finish line!" Karmen calls. Vivi nods and her face grows determined. Raja is ahead, but just barely. Karmen adjusts her feet to put her weight on her heels. At the last moment Parvati gains the lead. They pass the rock and slow to a stop. "Aww," Karmen moans. "Beaten by a nose."

Vivi laughs, exhilarated. "That was amazing! She's faster than Carue!" In the distance, her duck gives an indignant quack.

Karmen nods. "They're the fastest in the pod." She pulls Raja closer to them. "Let's go slow for a while to let them rest a little, then try for two out of three."

Vivi grins at her. "You're on."

* * *

Winston pokes his head cautiously around the corner, trying his best to see anything, or anyone, that might be hidden. He's nowhere near the gardens, but he still doesn't want to risk a knife between his ribs by upsetting someone he doesn't know is there. Why Karmen had seen it fit to train the girl in reverse observation Haki is beyond him. She was reclusive enough without it and now she just uses it to bully him. Well, she'd have to try a might harder if she wanted to best him. She could just make herself harder to notice for the time being, but he had some observation Haki of his own. He'd never been frightened away by any female form and by Godwin he wasn't going to let it start now, especially with a twiggy little brat like her. He takes a deep breath and continues towards her favored garden. "Camilla?" he calls in a strong voice. "I've got a few sets of clothes ready for you if you'd like to try them on. If you feel any changes need to be made I'd be glad to listen." He gets no reply. "Please keep in mind that Karmen asked you to train with me while she's gone. Remember? She said she'd be evaluating you? You do want to go on missions with her, don't you?" He peeks into the garden. "Hello?"

Camilla steps into his line of sight, frowning distastefully. She waves her hands at him. -Leave them and go. I'll be sure to drop kick you later.-

Winston squares his shoulders. "I neither speak Ancient Elbafian nor do I sign. If you have something you wish to say to me, you can use your words like an adult lest we end up running in circles. I for one, am growing tired of this routine." He holds the clothes out to her and after a few tense seconds she steps forward to take them. She makes a gesture that he interprets could either mean "thank you" or a ruder version of "get lost." He makes no inclination of leaving. "I'll let you try them on at your own leisure. Please inform me if anything needs to be adjusted or changed. While I have pride in my product you are the one who is to wear it. I do try to be accommodating when my clients give their opinions." He gestures towards the stack in her hands. "I've included a workout set. I'll be in the training room at three this afternoon. Please feel free to join me."

Nodding with satisfaction, he turns and goes down to the medical ward. If he's going to be bouncing around the training room he'll need to rebind his foot. While it's true that the claw that had sprouted from Pierce's ribs hadn't cut him deeply, it had managed to slice through the soft flesh of the inside of his foot. They'd had trouble keeping it closed without stitches until Saaresto had coated it in some kind of powder that smells suspiciously of seaweed. The wrapping had been tight and efficient and he'd felt relief immediately. His own, fresh wrappings aren't as precise, but they'll work well enough to train with. He goes down to the workout room and stretches while he waits. Sure enough, the girl shows up thirty minutes later. He's pleasantly surprised to find that she changed into the workout clothing he provided. He squares up to her and bows respectfully. "I'm pleased you took me up on my offer," he says as she purses her lips and makes a sign that he'd figured meant "whatever." Still, she inclines her head a few centimeters in return.

Camilla stares Winston down. Even after living with the girl for these few months he's amazed by the level of contempt that can shine in her dark eyes. There is dirt under her short nails from where she'd been working in the gardens. He can tell she's focused on her Haki. If he hadn't seen her come in he probably wouldn't be able to tell where she was. She's no Karmen, that's for sure. Not yet anyway. All she can do at the moment is make herself look fuzzy. He knows her feelings towards him are irrational projections from her past experiences with his royal deadness, but he can't seem to feel that he might enjoy teaching her that she's not the most dangerous creature to walk this island, no matter what Karmen chooses to teach her. One thing's for sure. Karmen hadn't taught her how to reverse and use her observation Haki at the same time. He waits for her to go slightly fuzzy again and makes his move.

"You've got a lot more to learn than just how to go unseen," he says as his foot connects with her right shin, off balancing her before hooking his foot around her left ankle and pulling it out from under her. She falls hard on her back, but rolls up into a crouching position. She makes a few signs that he's sure translates to words that shouldn't come out of anybody's mouth. "One being how to control your temper. If you lose your focus on a mission someone will get hurt, whether by you or to protect you is yet to be seen. Focus that anger into your attacks or get rid of it completely." She gives a little growl that reminds him of a disgruntled puppy and launches at him, pushing hard off the cave floor with her feet. He steps aside easily and she dives past him, rolling into a crouch and sweeping around to face him again, staying low. "Better. Now try to actually make contact." She makes a fist and lunges a jab at his stomach. Again, she's off balanced herself. He both dodges and attacks her by performing a roundhouse kick into her shoulder and she topples. While his back is still turned she leaps up and swings at his head. He ducks the blow and instead of letting it sail past him, turns to catch it. His hands grasp her forearm and his shoulder rests against her elbow, effectively locking her in an arm bar. "Unless you plan to simply incapacitate someone, it is dishonorable to attack them from behind. We'll be sure to work on etiquette later." She makes a few desperate one-handed signs. "What was that, Camilla? I could neither see nor hear that."

She gives another growl. "I said let go of me you tasteless old man!"

Something ignites in the tailor's eye right before he throws her across the room, using her arm as leverage. She lands hard and rolls to a stop, ribs aching as she tries to replace the air that had been knocked out of her. "I've made clothes for royalty and world nobles," he growls.

Camilla spits out dirt and rubs some off her cheek with the back of her hand while she sits up. "Like I said. Tasteless."

Winston straightens his tunic. "I'll have you know that each piece I make is sewn with a braided backstitch of my own design. No matter how hard I throw you or how much grappling is done, the seams on your outfit will not come apart."

Camilla finds the amount of pride wafting off him as he speaks of his work nauseating. -I'll take that as a challenge then, old man.-

Two hours later Camilla, tired and sore, stalks out of the training room, past the waiting, and now cold, food that Saaresto had brought down for them. She hadn't been able to land a single foot on him. She takes a key from around her neck and goes up to the poison garden, locking the gate firmly behind her. The ground is empty, but good. Karmen would be growing things here soon. Even if she can't fight well enough to go on missions, there were other things Camilla could do. Things that weren't as helpful as fighting by her side, but still important… right? Her other gardens would be overrun with other people, but this one, this empty, barren room with the open ceiling, high walls, and bubbling spring in the corner that drained under the gate and off into the caves, this would be just for her and Karmen. She kicks a clump of dirt anyway. It flies to the wall and explodes on impact. The motion reminds her of how sore she is and she lays flat in the tilled soil, hoping with all her might that her new workout clothes get soiled and ruined. Stupid tailor. She can still feel where his hands had been on her forearms and shins. She grits her teeth as realization hits her. He never once placed a hand near the center of her body. If he hit her upper arms or back or stomach it had been with his legs. In his own way he had been respectful towards her during the training session, other than when he threw her, and that made her even more frustrated.

After a while she scans the caves below her with her Haki. He was still down there, talking with the doctor while he continued to train. His movements on the wood and straw dummies are far harsher and aimed with the core as the objective target. She can barely track him from this distance and her stomach is growling. There had been food down there. She could go to the pantry instead, but she had been a dancing slave, not a kitchen rat, as Jade used to call them, scampering around looking for scraps just to survive. She focuses all her mental energy on reversing her Haki and leaves the poison garden. She stops in the other garden to grab her cloak and wraps it securely around her before returning to the workout room.

Watching the old man reminds her of Karmen's stories of the cook Sanji. Most of his strikes are devised to protect his hands so he can continue his craft even if he gets injured. He strikes with his forearms, elbows, and legs most of the time, but he's not above a few punches here and there. She grabs some of the rice balls that had been left out and a bowl of steamed vegetables and sits in a dark corner to eat.

Winston shakes out his hands and steps away from the combat dummy. She thinks he's about to kick it again. Instead he takes a deep breath and forms a low stance in the center of the room. He walks through some forms, slow punches and kicks, and a few turns. He goes through these a few times, speeding them up as he goes. "It's not like you to run drills at this point in your workout, or at all for that matter," Saaresto comments.

"My form was off, so I thought I'd go through the fundamentals and see where I was making my mistake," Winston says. He begins moving across the room and she feels power beginning to well up within him. She can't sense it exactly, but his muscles seem to expand in minute ways and his overall presence weighs heavier on her focus. He works his way over to a boulder, sweating heavily, face a mask of concentration. When he reaches it, he focuses a punch towards it but at the last moment he plunges two fingers against it, barely even tapping the stone. A few seconds pass. There is a sudden shockwave and the boulder shatters into shards, causing Camilla to choke on rice. She'd seen armament Haki before, but she'd never expected Winston to be able to use it. His personality was as padded as the bolts of fabric in his workroom. Her eyes wander over to Saaresto. If Karmen brought him here, what could _he_ do? Winston dusts off his shoulder. His whole front is awash with gray dust. "It looks like I have some laundry to do. I'll be down in the first reservoir to take a bath. If anyone would like to add to the pile they only need to leave their clothing at that particular cave's entrance."

Saaresto collects his things. "You sure are acting oddly today." Both men leave the room. A few tunnels away Saaresto peers up at him with his good eye. "She forgot to keep herself cloaked there towards the middle. Think she picked up on any of that?"

Winston shrugs. "She likes silent communication. As Karmen said, what she picks up is up to her."

Back in the workout room Camilla finishes her food and sits quietly for a long time. Slowly, she climbs off her perch and moves to the center of the room. She puts her feet in the footprints Winston had left in the dust. They're nearly twice as big as her feet, straighter in the toes. She trails hers across the paths his left, slowly moving her arms the way he had. She mimics his movements as if she were learning a choreographed dance. Her muscles, despite her years of active living, aren't used to this kind of motion. She goes through the drill again and again, just as he had. She moves forward, following his trails in the dust, and swings her fist at the wall. She taps it with her finger tips, effectively jamming them against the rough stone. She signs a loud curse and hops in place for a minute, shaking her hand furiously. She knew it wouldn't happen for her. She hadn't felt anything, but still she wanted to try.

Sweating, dirty, sore, and tired, she decides that having the stupid tailor wash his stupidly sturdy handiwork would be the perfect punishment for the torture he'd put her through today. He'd even made her speak, the jerk. She'd get changed and go swim with the rays to wash off. After that she would go make sure the poison gardens had extra fertilizer. She wants to see how many outfits she can dirty up before the old man does laundry. Maybe she could watch him do that too and see what that kind of labor was involved. She'd kept her back turned when Karmen had washed her clothes the other day. Like she'd told herself before, she'd been a dancer, not a worker. Even if she isn't able to go on the first mission, she wants Karmen to find her beneficial.


	61. Chapter 61: Little Carnivorous Encounter

Two stingrays pull up to Little Garden. "Ah!" Vivi exclaims. "You beat us!"

Karmen chuckles. "You won the first two races, so victory is yours, nevertheless." In truth, Karmen had been too excited by the sight of the island to remember to put her weight on her heels this time around. She looks up at the jungle and basks in the muggy humidity that pours out of it as the other rays begin to catch up. Carue quacks indignantly at being left behind for the third time. Karmen smiles apologetically and pats his hat. "Sorry. You can show off your speed on land." She ties two barrels to his saddle and makes sure his drink is filled.

The jungle is just as vivid and wild as she remembers. She can hear dinosaurs roaring from inside, see snakes slithering through the trees, and instantly spots deadbolt vines and Plucharon sprouts. Maybe she could even find that bug that bit Nami while she's here. She cups her hands around her mouth. "Dorry! Brogy!" Usopp would want to know how their never-ending battle is faring. He'd want to hear about the continuous honor of the giants and how they'd recovered from their injuries left by Mr. 3 and 5 all those months ago. No one answers her call. "I guess they're further in, or maybe they're dueling," she says.

"You still think they're fighting?" Vivi asks.

"They're warriors to the core," she responds with a fond smile as she pulls the vial containing Sherryl from her shirt and dumps the spider carefully back onto her head. "Anyone who could inspire my little brother like they did will continue to fight until the day they die."

"Which one do you think will win?"

"Old age, probably," Karmen says truthfully. "Either that or they take each other out. They're too evenly matched, know each other's techniques too well. Their honor and friendship denies any foul play."

The other rays break the surface and Kamren begins unloading her supplies. She immediately secures root balls around deadbolt, sunblade, and Plucharon and places the plants inside large glass pods. She secures these to the back of one ray and it immediately swims off to the Northwest. "You're sending those back to your island?" she asks.

"Yep," Karmen responds. "Camilla will have them in the locked garden for me by the time I get back. She works wonders in a garden. From now on, I'll never run out of any of the basics." She bites into a Plucharon plant, feeling the familiar tingle on her tongue, and thinks. She remembers how Ikaika's arms had turned black and rotted into nothing in front of her eyes. It had taken mere seconds. She had thought she'd feel victorious in that moment. Instead, she'd felt like if she let it take more than his arms she would become a monster. She would become like him. This plant can be used for good, but it can also do terrible things. It was up to her how she wanted to use it. While she still plans on having the Plucharon on her island, she'll never make that particular version of it ever again. Something inside her tells her that she hasn't yet unlocked its full potential quite yet. Something about it doesn't seem entirely destructive, she just hasn't found the right combination, the right dosage. She feels Sherryl moving in her hair. She has a lot of research to do. They shouldn't waste too much time standing around on the beach.

As if reading her mind, a large, toothy dinosaur with a long, spiky tail bursts through the trees and roars at them. Splinters of wood fall over them with its warm breath. Its glistening green and orange skin rises menacingly above them and its five-foot long claws push trees aside as it advances. Karmen carefully sets a large pack on her back. "Let's run and go find our giants."

"Agreed," Vivi breathes. She jumps on Carue's back and they take off into the forest with the monster right behind them. Karmen feels movement on her hair but doesn't bother to stop to see what Sherryl is doing. They run until they come to a mountain. "There's a cave!"

Karmen looks to where Vivi is pointing and aims for it. They burst through the entrance and land hard in the dirt, just outside of the range of the gnashing teeth. She gives a content sigh. "That was fun."

Vivi slides off the duck, staying on her hands and knees and groans. "I forgot what traveling with you guys was like." After a few more deep breaths she begins to laugh. "Can we even get out of here?"

Karmen looks around. The cave is barely deep enough to keep them safe. The entrance is sturdy and completely made of stone, so there's no danger of the creature breaking through, despite the sound of its jaws echoing all around them. "Not in the slightest."

"So what are we going to do?" Vivi asks.

She turns to find Karmen sitting on a blanket with a full tea set out. Carue gives a loud quack of surprise. "I say we get comfortable and wait twelve hours."

Vivi gives her a dumbfounded look. "Where did that come from?"

Karmen inclines her head towards her pack, now resting against the cave wall. "I packed everything I thought we might need."

Though this doesn't explain the already steaming pot of tea on the blanket Vivi feels there are more important subjects to discuss. "You just want to wait it out?" she asks. "What if it doesn't leave?"

Karmen taps the place above her ear where a certain fruit-shaped arachnid is no longer sitting. "Sherryl has things covered."

Vivi stares at her. "Y-your desert strawberry is taking on that thing?" she asks.

"Oh, I believe she's already dealt with him, we just have to wait." Karmen finds a trail of spider silk leading off her ear and towards the cave entrance. She gives it a flick and reels it in, carrying the spider back to her along with it, landing lightly on Karmen's outstretched hand. She catches a fly out of the air with her free hand and feeds it to the spider, who wraps it in the piled silk around her and bites into it readily. "What a helpful dear you've turned out to be." Carue, seeing nothing better to do, settles down next to Karmen and looks up at the princess.

Vivi sits and takes the cup of tea offered. "We're really just going to sit here for twelve hours?" She and Carue take a sip and nod their approval.

"Do you have a better idea for getting past those teeth?" Karmen asks. "And I plan to train some. Maybe take a nap, read a book. There's always the chance that one of the giants will hear and come to our aid. Its skin is too thick to pierce with my weapons and I don't plan on jumping into its mouth in search of softer membranes. So unless you have a better plan, that leaves waiting for Sherryl's toxins to take effect."

The princess sighs. "You really did think it all out, didn't you?" She looks towards the dinosaur. "Even if you were able to poison it safely it would still block the entrance. But if it's still trying to eat us in twelve hours, it'll block the entrance anyway."

Karmen hums tunelessly. "That is true."

"You don't seem worried at all."

"With the plants I've gathered already I could eventually synthesize a poison that could take care of the problem. It would take a day at least. However, I have a technique that may be able to help us. I've never used it for this purpose or at this range, though, so I don't know if it will actually work."

She sets her cup down and sits in a comfortable position with her chin lowered and hands in her lap. She focuses all her haki in scanning the island. Giant life signs are everywhere, but two in particular stand out to her. There they are, resting together after what must have been another duel. Dorry and Brogy, the two honorable Elbafian giant captains. She knows they are able to use a bit of haki, she just hopes at least one of them can use the observation type. They're distant, but all she has to do is shift their perception slightly.

Far away on the island, Brogy looks down. "Did you see that, Dorry?" he asks.

The taller giant adjusts his dented helmet and looks where his rival is pointing. "What?"

"I thought I saw a nymph or a sprite. I'm not sure exactly. It looked like a human woman, but she was glowing."

Dorry gives a throaty laugh. "I must have hit you over the head harder than I thought. Have you let your helmet go soft?"

"My helmet's fine," Brogy states. "Look! There it is again!"

Both men stare at the tree line to see a woman shaped glimmer gesturing at them, pointing towards the mountains. "I think it wants us to follow her."

"I think you're right." Brogy looks at Dorry. "Should we?"

He shrugs and gives his companion a toothy smile. "We don't have anything better to do until the volcano erupts again."

"A very true statement."

Both giants stand and follow the glow. It doesn't move like a normal human. Once it sees that they are following it disappears from the ground and instantly appears on the highest branches of the trees, not really using them for support, but floating a few inches above them. This makes it easier for them to follow it and after a few minutes of travel they can hear the snarling of one of the island beasts on the hunt. The figure stops once they are in sight of the dinosaur and points to where it has its head stuffed into a cave, signaling at its raised haunches. Its claws scrape the stone and dirt, leaving deep gouges, and its tail sweeps from side to side, splintering trees in its wake.

"What do you think it's after?" Dorry asks.

"Don't know," Brogy says. "But I think the glowing lady wants us to dispatch it." He looks at the small woman. "Is that right?" She nods vigorously and gives a little spin, ending in a deep curtsy. She leaps down from the trees and disappears mid-air. "Well, shall we?"

"It sounds like we just found our dinner." Dorry catches the creature's tail and pulls. It rears around to bite him, but Brogy's sword is faster. It cuts deeply into the back of its neck and with one more swing, decapitates it.

Karmen, Carue, and Vivi step out of the cave, everything repacked, and wave. "Thank you!" they call.

The giants give surprised chuckles. "Well if it isn't our little pirate friends!" Brogy states.

"What a wonderful surprise," Dorry says. "Are the others in there too?"

"It's just us, I'm afraid," Karmen says. "I'm glad you got my message. We couldn't get past the teeth."

Dorry heaves the creature's tail over his shoulder. "Would you like to join us for a meal?"

"Absolutely!" She pats the barrels Carue is carrying. "I brought some ale, just for you two." Karmen digs in her pack and pulls out four syringes, two much larger than the others, and a large bottle of pink liquid. Carue quacks with shock and backs away quickly. "Though I'm afraid my spider friend may have poisoned the meat. This will make it safe to eat, but it won't exactly be pleasant."

Vivi gasps. "You mean you actually made an antidote for desert strawberry venom?" she asks, slightly awed. "I remember you staying up all night before we left but I never imagined you'd pull it off that quickly."

"Oh, did I forget to tell you?" Karmen asks. "Sorry. I was tired after I finished. I know it seems rushed but I tested it twenty times to be sure, all trials successful. Remind me to tell your palace doctors how to make it when we get back. It should prove useful for them." The giants lean down and Karmen gets to work, carefully measuring each dose according to body weight and muscle mass. With a little coaxing even Carue let her inject him with the antidote. Once they could all eat the kill safely the three new arrivals hitch a ride on the dinosaur's corpse as the giants drag it back to Dorry's camp. Brogy had collected the trees the monster had felled and use them to create a smoky and roaring fire to roast it on. "Are you two still tied?" she asks them once they'd settled in.

"We are," Brogy confirms heartily. "We had another draw just this morning. I'm going to have to make a new shield again."

Dorry leans down. "Was that a new technique you used to bring us to the cave?"

Karmen nods. "I've been developing it over the past few months," she says. "It's called Soul Splitter. I make a form out of haki. It's usually meant as a distraction but it has other uses, as you saw." She makes the haki Karmen again and lets the form dance over the fire. She changes its form to make it look like the Straw Hat sniper. "Usopp will be very happy to know that you're doing well. He really admires you." She tells them about meeting two of their crewmates at Enies Lobby and how they had gotten their revenge and joined the Galley-La shipbuilding crews of Water 7. She makes sure to tell of Usopp's significant role in their change in allegiance and how much they still cared for their captains. The giants sit and listen misty-eyed. When she's finished they thank her and tell her of adventures they had with those two crew members, the trouble they found, the creatures they'd come across, the battles they fought. Karmen records all of it in a notebook so that she can bring their stories to Usopp when they meet again.

"There was something I was hoping to ask you," she says as they begin to divide up the meat and the giants dig into the ale. "What is life like for half-giants on Elbaf?"

Brogy and Dorry look at each other, barrels pausing just before passing their lips. "Well, it depends on where you grow up, really," Dorry says. "Just like with humans, giants are born of all different sizes."

"Some giants feel the bloodlines should stay pure and mistreat those who don't. Others believe that it doesn't matter who or what your parents are so long as you are honorable. We have those who would rather not live a life of battle, criminals, and outcasts, much like any other race."

"That being said," Dorry says. "Most half-giants tend to leave the island."

"Why do you ask?" Brogy says.

Karmen blows on her food to cool it. "I've known a half-giant all my life, but he never spoke of his home. I'm not even sure if he was born on Elbaf. We always had… more pressing matters to discuss."

"Are you sure he's a half-giant?" Dorry asks.

"Well, he's much taller than any human I've met but much shorter than you two," she says. "I figured it was the obvious explanation, though he's never claimed it himself. He likes to keep personal matters to himself." Before the conversation can continue a volcano erupts. The giants look at each other, eyes already alight with the thrill of battle. Karmen gives a soft laugh. "Perhaps another time, then." She picks up her pack and nods towards the forest. "Vivi, Carue, we'd better get to work and stay out of the way while they fight."

They step into the trees as the first metallic rings of sword against axe sound behind them. Karmen samples leaves and stalks as she walks, looking for tell-tale signs of poison such as tingling or burning on her tongue. They move cautiously, keeping an eye out for anything that could possibly try to eat them and being wary of any unusual animals or insects. She finds and pods the flowers that went into her perfume and the one that caused blinding and another that causes itching. She finds a small shrub that she'd discovered caused a person to lose the use of their voice for a few hours. Luckily it has no effect on Karmen as she chews on one of the stems. She sneaks up on a sleeping dinosaur and gains a bottle of venom while Vivi and Carue cheer her on quietly from the distant tree line.

About two hours into their search Karmen gasps and rushes forward, sliding to her knees and scooping two small objects into her arms. "They're still here!"

"What are?" Vivi asks.

Karmen holds up two grimy red leather sandals. "The shoes I lost to Mr. 3's wax attack! Remember? I had to melt the wax around my ankles with scalding tea thanks to that jerk. My sandals were still stuck so I had to leave them behind. The heat here must have melted the wax off them or his powers have a time limit but I get them back so I don't care how it happened. These shoes cost me 30,000 berries."

"Are they still… functioning?" Vivi asks.

Karmen's eyes sparkle with determination. "If they aren't I know someone who can make them so." Her eyes soften as she rubs her thumbs over the still tea-stained leather. They'd been rained on and were still oily with waxy residue, but they were whole and unmarred in Karmen's eyes. They had been so important to her once. "These were the first pair of shoes I bought as Valentine." Though the leather is practically trashed, these are her first shoes that weren't ruined by the blood of dying slaves. When she had left them behind and limped barefoot to her crew it hadn't been because she'd been ashamed to wear them in the presence of her friends, not like the hundreds of times she'd approached Kuma as a child with nothing but her naked feet. After he'd rescued her, Kuma had given her a large chunk of change to live off of until she could decide what she wanted to do. It hadn't been enough to get back to Valcour, something she's sure he was very aware of. She spent most of it on these shoes and isn't ashamed to admit it. She'd still been angry at the time and had no real concept of money and saw it as a slight to him. In the end, she hadn't need Kuma's money to reach Pierce at all. Over time, her reasoning behind wearing these sandals changed. By the time she'd lost them she'd considered them an indirect gift from her pawed protector, and that made them even more valuable. "Even if I can't wear them again, I consider them a treasure."

A giant dragonfly swoops down and snatches the shoes out of her hand. Nobody moves until Karmen stands, doing so very slowly, eyes in shadow. "Sync. Carue, it's time to show me how fast you can run." Vivi jumps on his back and holds her arm out for Karmen, but the Secretary had already started running. The duck takes off, surprised to find Karmen keeping pace with him no matter how fast his webbed feet slap the jungle floor. Vivi draws her peacock spinners and slices up foliage to clear their path. Soon the dragonfly is in sight again. "Burning cage!" Karmen throws a feather dart at it but it performs a barrel roll and dodges gracefully. Vivi keeps her eye on it but she can't reach it from Carue's back. Karmen scoops her dart up as she runs, expelling the now empty cartridge before clicking it back into the quill. She growls with frustration. The insect is aerodynamic and air pressure sensitive. Distance attacks won't work. This leaves one option if she wants her shoes back.

She synchronizes with a nearby tree frog and leaps fifteen feet in the air onto a tree branch. She leaps further forward until she's higher than the dragonfly and only a few feet away. Karmen dives after it and catches it around its long abdomen. It curls that section of its body around, pulling her close to its mandibles as it tries to bite her head off. She dodges, throwing her head side to side to avoid its carnivorous jaws while trying to wrench her shoes from its netted legs. "Let go!" she yells. "They're not even food!" She punches at its thorax and knees it wherever she can get a good shot in. The dragonfly bites a few centimeters off her bangs. She gives a cry of fury and grabs one of its wings, forcing it to spiral out of control. Air friction threatens to tear her off the insect, but she holds on.

The dragonfly shoots upwards in an attempt to correct its flight, remaining three wings beating frantically to keep itself in the air. She didn't care if it killed her. She would be taking those shoes. With this determination, she hooks her foot around a wing on the other side and gives it a hard yank. The air is hot, but she can't make out anything in the spinning world around them. It's all moving too fast, her vision is too focused. She bites into one of its legs while stabbing wildly with one of her quills. Her complete lack of combat training growing up is evident on her. She curses Gallowcomb for making it a part of the arrangement that she couldn't be trained to fight. She curses Mihawk and Kuma for not teaching her anyway. She curses the world government who'd forced them all into the agreement. She'd come this far self-taught. She wasn't going to lose to some stupid bug. She tries to remember Zoro's constant training, Sanji's precise foot placements, Luffy's powerful punches, Franky's wild style, Usopp's incredulous aim, Brook's frantic attacks, Nami's precise calculations, Chopper's dutiful protection, and Robin's steady hand. Something clicks together in her mind. With one final kick, she wrenches the shoes away from the dragonfly and gives a cry of triumph. She is thrown from the insect and it zooms away into the distance. Her celebration is cut short when she realizes that she's falling, the air temperature rising rapidly as she does, the changing scents making her nauseous. She doesn't have any rope. She has nothing to use to pull herself to safety. She's going to fall headfirst and die, straight into the open mouth of the bubbling volcano.

Pain shoots through her as something snags her ankle and holds hard. The sudden stop jars her, making her grip loosen slightly. She manages to keep hold of her quill but a shoe slips from her fingers and burns up instantly in the lava. Her fingers tighten on the remaining sandal. One is enough. "Thanks for the save, V-" Her voice trails off as she looks up and realizes it's not Vivi and Carue who hold her ankle, but a three foot tall, stone colored Venus fly trap growing from the volcanic rocks. It raises up and sets her on a ledge. She tucks the shoe into her bag and her quill into its holster. "Thank you." It seems to grin like a praised puppy. Karmen can smell the shoe melting and the hot air is making her lightheaded. "Would you like to leave this hot place with me?" she asks it. It nods vigorously.

The rocks are scalding, the air suffocatingly hot, but she digs her fingers into the burning volcanic soil and sets enough soil to support its roots in the front of her shirt. She carries it out this way, over the volcanic rim and down the mountainside, and it seems to enjoy feeling the cooler air with each step she takes. It spreads its fringed leaves out towards the sun and stretches its neck-like stem, shaking its flat face free of soot and grinning up at the sunlight. She chuckles. "You like being out of there, don't you?" It flops its head down onto hers and nuzzles her already disheveled hair. She glances around its large brown form. "I have friends around here somewhere. We got a little separated when I leapt onto that dragonfly." It gnashes its mouth. "Trust me, dearie. If I ever see it again I'll happily let you eat it for lunch." Still not feeling well, she sets it down. They really had come a long way. She can't believe she'd almost gone up like a barbecue pig for a pair of ruined shoes. She looks down at her hands. They're covered in brownish gray dust. She hadn't seen this kind of soil since…

She steps away from the plant and tries to brush the dust off her shirt, only getting more of it on her hands. Her face goes blank but she feels like she should be trembling. No one is around to see if she did. But no. The response is too instinctual for her to ignore and she can feel herself hollow out into an empty shell as she sits down. The memory of the smell of grapes overpowers her mind and she falls forward and vomits on the ground.

"Over there, Carue!"

No. Not now. She needs to compose herself. She needs to erase all signs of emotion. Or else… or else what? She takes a breath. This isn't Valcour. This isn't Galaval.

"Are you alright?"

"I need a minute." She walks herself back on her hands and crawls away from her mess, wiping her mouth on the back of her wrist.

"Are you hurt?" Vivi comes into focus as she approaches.

Karmen shakes her head. "Sensory memory trigger," she says. "It'll pass." She stares down at the dust covering her hands. "The vineyards where I grew up," she starts when the nausea begins to leave her, "they were fertilized with new volcanic soil every five years. The Gallowcombs would send slaves to collect it. Children and fishmen mostly. Ikaika liked sending the ones he knew wouldn't come back. Even if they survived the temperatures their lungs were blackened with poisonous fumes and soot. Most didn't survive a week after returning to the island. Those that did had chronic ailments that prevented them from completing their work well enough to satisfy the Gallowcombs. They ended up strung up around the vineyard or flayed alive in the basement, their blood causing the infertility that drained the land of its life. The lucky ones got to deal with Willow. A few bullets and it was done. All over a little dirt." Vivi sits next to her. "Sorry. Not the best conversation starter, is it? I don't expect you to have anything to respond to it with. I don't even know why I brought it up. Chopper said it's better to talk about it, but it doesn't bring them back."

"Do you want to talk about it anymore?" Karmen shakes her head in response. "Did… did you get your shoes?" she asks softly.

"One." She holds up the shoe briefly and returns it to her bag.

"Carue and I… thought we saw you fall into the volcano itself," she says after a while.

"You did." Karmen motions to the Venus fly trap who is still sunning itself. "This guy caught me before I fell into the lava." She stands and pats it on its head. At the same moment the desert strawberry crawls from the underside of its face. Sherryl must have climbed aboard when Karmen had been nuzzled. She walks to the top of its head and sinks her teeth into its planty flesh. "Sherryl, it saved our lives, don't bite it!" To her surprise the plant turns red with little black specks, spreading out from the bite site and down to its roots. It shakes its head and all of the teeth like fringes around its mouth fall out and are replaced by new black ones. "Oh." Karmen takes hold of one and it comes away in her hand before being quickly replaced. It's a little thinner than the poison capsules in her quills and is hollow like an urchin spine. She bites into it. Sure enough, it contains desert strawberry venom. "You're a camo-morph." It grins happily at her.

"A what?" Vivi asks.

"Essentially a mimic. It changes its biology to adapt to its environment," she says. She turns back to the plant, wheels turning in her head. "Would you and some of your friends like to come back to my island with me?" she asks. "My island gets a lot of sunlight and it's in a nice, cool environment near the ocean. Would you like that?" It nods vigorously. "I think we're going to get along quite well."

* * *

Author's note: Hello everyone! Some of you may have noticed that I've been trying to become more involved with my readers. I've started responding to more reviews and sending a small message for follows and favorites. To those of you that I did not do this for in the past, I appreciate you. Some people message me and ask questions and I'm always happy to answer so long as it doesn't spoil anything. I'd also like to thank the guest who gave me that nice review on the last chapter. It made me happy.

I said that I wasn't officially back when I came out of hiatus in December but updating twice a month (on the 1st and 15th) is working for me so I think I'll keep this schedule for a while. My life has been a little crazy recently. I've been trying to find a new job. I love where I work now but it's only part-time and it doesn't pay all the bills. I have some certification tests that I'll be taking this upcoming month that will improve my chances. Unfortunately, this means I need to study instead of write. I've got a few chapters already written and ready to upload so the posting schedule won't change. That being said, if there are a few grammatical or spelling errors this coming month it was because I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off instead of editing.

A family member offered to take a writing sample to a retired editor friend that they know. I sent that off yesterday and I'm super nervous and excited. Keep your fingers crossed.

As always, thank you so much for reading!


	62. Chapter 62: Holding Back

It had been a long trip to Alabasta, but Karmen, Vivi, and Carue had made it back all in one piece. The duck and princess instantly re-accommodate themselves to the warm environment and the sentient Venus fly trap Karmen had brought back with her turns a sandy tan color and spreads its mouth as a sunshade. She'd found about a dozen of these plants and, with their permission, sent them back to Batoidea for further study. This one though, had saved her life and therefore had been given the choice of traveling with her, which it readily agreed to. She'd set it up in half a glass pod and had strapped it to her back for easy carrying. They'd found several poisonous plants to send back for the garden and had taken several venom samples from insects and reptiles. By the time they left, Karmen's pack had been all but empty and her supplies sent home, save for the few she wanted to experiment with right away.

They'd arrived back to the desert isle in the middle of the night and had taken a brief break on the warm beach which still retained the heat of the blazing sun, and had begun their walk back towards the capitol. They passed through the palace doors just before lunch, shaking the desert sands off their boots and finding Cobra, Chaka, and Igaram attending business with advisors in the throne room. They are deep in discussion and don't notice them enter until they're three steps in.

Karmen watches as Cobra's face lights up with a wide smile as he completely abandons his paperwork, sending it flying, attendant forgotten. He runs to embrace Vivi. His strong arms and long sleeves completely enfold her. He squeezes until she's tapping for air and holds a few seconds longer. She sees how the princess becomes awash in his infectious happiness, absorbing his glow and excitement. Karmen's own smile thins as she watches the display and she turns to let them catch up. She has things she needs to drop off and a bodyguard who needs a progress check. After making a brief stop in her room she goes to the basement entrance and hears angry murmurs as she descends, which she takes to be a comforting sign.

Down below Pierce is standing very still next to one of the pillars near the center of the basement. He has his wings wrapped around his body like a cloak. Pell bows his head as she approaches.

"Hello, boys!" Karmen calls.

"Ah. We didn't expect you back so soon," the falcon guard captain says. "I am pleased to see your safe return."

Pell has a peculiar smile on his face and Karmen leans in curiously. "Did I interrupt anything? You look like you're hiding something."

He grins as Pierce's wings wrap a little tighter. "Nothing that would be an appropriate conversation topic in a woman's presence."

She leans in towards Pierce. "No hug? No, 'let me make sure a dinosaur didn't bite off one of your limbs?'"

Her guard shuffles slightly. "I know you can take care of yourself and I could tell by the tone of your voice upon arrival that you had a pleasant and successful trip."

She turns back to Pell, obviously not getting the full story from the other. "You aren't hazing my bodyguard, are you? He's not wearing a dress or something under there?"

Pell nearly burst out laughing. "As if I would have him do anything that he would consider… unnatural."

This seems to be a slight at Pierce somehow because the bodyguard's jaw tenses and Pierce seems to be trying to figure out how to maim Pell without moving his wings. Not finding a way to do this, however, he simply glowers. This makes Karmen even more curious. "So what's going on beneath this wing-cloak then?"

"Not much," Pell says, voice pitched slightly higher than normal to contain a laugh.

Karmen's eyes have begun to adjust to the dark room and she spies shredded cloth in the far corner. Realizing what he's saying she can't help but crack a smile. "I see. Have you done this the entire time we've been gone or is this a new occurrence?"

Pierce's cheeks grow so hot they're practically glowing in the dark. "I… made a full transformation," he says.

"Oh, dearie. Winston is going to have a field day when we get back," she says with a little giggle. "You won't leave his workshop for a week." Most bat species have a fold of skin connecting their tails to their legs that extends all the way down to their ankles, and in some species, their toes. If Pierce made a full transformation into his beast form then the shredded material across the room is what used to be his pants and underwear.

Pierce sighs, unable to defend himself in his current predicament. "I'm going to go change."

When he's gone upstairs Karmen turns to Pell. "What does he look like with a tail?" she asks.

"Like a big bat." Pell picks up the shredded clothing. "I'll dispose of these for him. I assume Vivi's up there?"

Karmen nod. "With the king." She takes another look at the shredded fabric in the guard's hand and can't help but laugh.

Upstairs, though his ears are still hot, Pierce can't help but smile. She'd been right. If he wasn't stark naked under his wings he would have rushed to her as soon as her feet left the stairs. Though it's at his expense, he can't help but smile at the sound of her laughter. It had been over six days since he heard it last. He'd missed the lavender sound of her voice.

Back near the entrance to the basement, Karmen snags Pell's arm. "He practically hates his transformations," she says in a low voice. "How did you get him to make a full one?"

He smiles ruefully at her. "I sprayed a handkerchief in Vivi's perfume and used it to make him think I was tearing your veil."

"So where is my veil now?" she asks. Her face had felt naked without it as she'd passed back through the city.

Pell nods towards the stairs. "He's got it. He was ready to maim me when he made the transformation." Pell's face gets a distant look and Karmen's haki flags a change in his heartbeat. "He didn't calm down until I'd proven that I hadn't actually damaged it." He resumes his pleasant smile and shrugs. "He wouldn't give it back after that."

"Ok. Now tell me what you aren't telling me, before he comes back into hearing range."

Pell sighs and leans against a pillar, folding his arms and staring hard at the floor. His smile is gone. "It's obvious that he's not a normal Zoan, but there's more to it than that," he says. His voice is barely above a whisper. "When I make a transformation, I take on traits and strengths of the falcon, but I don't take on the mannerisms or instincts of it. When he became angry, it was almost as if it was all he could do to not to be consumed by animal nature. Whatever they gave him, he has to fight against it each time he transforms."

Karmen exhales heavily. "Is it dangerous for him to use his abilities?"

Pell shakes his head. "I think it would be more dangerous for him not to. He's already tried burying it and you've seen what happens. He explodes and he can't control it. The more he's trained it and become used to it the less that has happened, even when he became stressed over you and Vivi reaching the latter range of your given time of leave." He shakes his head. "I knew pushing him like I did today was reckless, but I felt it was important to see what he was fully capable of. I didn't tell you the full truth earlier. When he's completely transformed he looks like an armored bat with lots of sharp claws all over his extremities and bat heads for hands. That or single giant claws, razor sharp. He kept switching between the two. I'll admit, seeing hands snarl left me briefly disturbed. He was very animalistic. He can do some real damage in that state. I'll do what I can while you're still here, but that is what he needs to learn to control."

"Thank you for telling me," she says. "It would be hard for him to admit it himself. He's so keen on getting back into the field. I can't help but wonder if he's shoving too much aside to do so."

"While I find your concern admirable, you shouldn't let it hold him back. He's a creature of habit. He has an instinctual need to protect those he cares about, and right now that's you," Pell says. "The more he has to protect, the harder he'll work to do so. I wish you could have seen the determination in him while you were gone. He was almost desperate to make progress, and he did. I'll have him give you a demonstration once the air outside cools, before we move to weapons training tomorrow."

"So he's actually comfortable flying now?" she asks.

Pell reaches into his sleeve and pulls out five large feathers. "He plucked these out of me right before you arrived." He straightens his robes as she looks them over. "The jaws his hands form are pretty powerful."

Karmen's eyes scan over the ground with a more cursory note. The dust that had sprinkled the floor before she had left has practically been swept to the corners of the room, leaving spiraling patterns near the wall. It takes powerful airflow to leave swirls that violent. "He didn't actually hurt you, did he?"

Pell grins. "He tried. I've been at this far longer than he has." He rubs the back of his neck, grimacing with memory. "Getting him to actually pay attention to what I was trying to tell him was the hard part. I practically had to throw the veil at him." His eyes become set with such a serious focus that it makes it hard to look away. "I don't think he would ever turn on you like he did me, but if he did, will you be able to fend him off? In certain situations he may not be completely himself."

Karmen flourishes a quill. "I always have a contingency plan," she says. Her thumb rubs across the hollow where one dart is missing. "I only hope I never have to use them."

"For both your sakes, I hope the same."

They ascend the stairs together and Karmen finds Pierce, now dressed in Alabastian robes, standing at the door of the throne room where Cobra and Vivi are still chattering in excited voices. Pell continues down the hall as Karmen approaches him. Pierce draws in a long breath, turns to face her, and opens his arms. She steps into them willingly, letting him enfold her in a strong embrace. He squeezes her tightly and lays his cheek on top of her head. "Well, you still have all your limbs, I see." He lifts his head and replaces it with a hand, feeling her hair. "Did you cut your bangs?"

She gives a soft chuckle. "I fought a giant dragonfly for a pair of shoes. He had really sharp mandibles. Don't worry. I bit him back."

"You bit… a giant dragonfly… over shoes?" His arm tightens around her and his other hand moves to the back of her head in a protective gesture.

"They're special," she says softly, finding it hard to take a full breath to speak any louder. "I ended up only getting one. The other fell into a volcano."

His grip tightens to near crushing. "I swear I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

She pushes lightly on his chest and he releases her but doesn't step very far away. "Pell said he gave you my veil?" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the wrinkled swatch of fabric. She takes it lightly and smooths it. As promised, not a stitch is torn. "I swear I'm going to start making you iron my clothes if you keep returning it to me like this." She gives a content sigh and tucks it away. "But at least you're returning it. That means you trained hard. I'm proud of you."

"Mistress… Did Pell say anything about the training?" he asks.

"Nothing that I didn't already expect," she says truthfully. "Is there something that you think I should be aware of?"

His hands fold behind his back as he stands in a dutiful posture, defaulting to his soldier-like nature. "No, Mistress."

She rocks on her heels slightly. "I'm happy to have you, Pierce. I don't care what you look like or what you need to work through. You have done more for me than I could ever repay. I will always, always be here for you," she says. "You know, if you ever want to talk, all you have to do is ask."

She turns and steps into the threshold of the throne room, not yet entering. She feels taking even a step further will interrupt the happy reunion inside. Pierce's arms enfold her and his chin rests lightly on top of her head. "The same goes for you." He doesn't let go but joins her in observing the happy family. "So tell me about these shoes."

She lets herself shrink against him, wanting his arms to be able to fill the growing hollow in her chest. "I bought them with the money Kuma gave me after my eighteenth birthday." His arms tighten. "I don't have anything from him. I couldn't leave them there in the jungle. Not when he's…" She turns down the hallway, pulling him with her, suddenly feeling a need to change the subject. "I brought something else back with me. You should meet."

Pierce lets one hand drop while the other slides down to her hand as she drags him to her bedroom. "This is something sentient?" he asks, almost groaning.

They pass through the threshold and she places his hand on top of the Venus flytrap who has turned a sandstone color that matches the color of the walls. "This is Vishtunalli, the camo-morphic Venus flytrap. I call him Tuna for short."

"Him?" Pierce asks, rubbing both hands across its head. "You nicknamed a plant _Tuna_?"

"Tuna saved me from falling into the volcano."

"I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Vishtunalli," Pierce says with a sudden change of demeanor. He holds out a hand to shake and Tuna lightly grasps it with his mouth. The plant's flesh turns black and horns sprout from his head. Small wings sprout from his stem and flap lightly. "What… just happened?" Pierce pulls his hand from its mouth.

"Oh, my, gosh, Tuna you look adorable!" She holds her fists in front of her mouth and gives a small squeal. "He looks like you in bat form now. He changes like that sometimes. He makes poisoned spines too. He's a plant Swiss army knife."

"It sounds like you had an incredible trip," he says. "When do I get to hear the whole story?"

"Lunch," she decides. "I need a bath. My feet have been steamed from going from the ocean to desert and I need to unwind."

"I think I'll take one too," he says. "It's been a long morning." Karmen gathers a change of clothing and they make their way to the hot spring.

Karmen pauses at the door dividing the women's side from the men's. "You'll get out if the heat starts getting to you, right?"

He gives her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about me." He takes another step towards the doorway but pauses. "You'll check for…?"

She chuckles softly. "Of course I will." They enter their sides and Karmen gives a content sigh as she rinses off before entering the water. "No eels."

"Thanks."

Karmen lies back and floats, letting her hair sprawl out like seaweed. She thinks about what Pell told her. If Pierce already hated his transformations, how does he feel now that he knows how malleable his body is? The one thing Ikaika and Celestial Dragons are good at is making people feel like they were less than human. She exhales and senses for his heartbeat, wondering if it will give any indication to his current mental state. She sits up and turns away from the wall with a gasp when she finds it close to the top of it. "Geez, Pierce!" she exclaims. "I know you're blind but you shouldn't surprise a girl like that." She pulls her knees up to her bare chest and looks to where his damp head is peeking over the divider.

"Sorry," he apologizes, a little flustered. "I was just wondering… did you want to talk about Kuma?"

She rests her chin on her knees and wraps her arms loosely around her shins. "I think we've covered everything there is at this point in time." She ticks off the hours of their previous discussions in her head: Their childhoods, the Revolutionaries, his old allies, his work with the government and navy, the deal, government secrets, apples, ideas about where he'd gotten that spotted fabric he loves so much, religion, philosophy on consciousness and humanity… "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

"No," he says, shaking his head. "I was just wondering if you were thinking about him when you came back."

"I'm always thinking about Kuma," she says. "Why should this time be any different?"

"I just noticed that you didn't go to greet His Majesty." His voice is soft, concerned, reminding her of the hollow feeling in her chest. She's sure her heartbeat does something funny because his mouth thins as he waits for an answer.

"He was concerned for his daughter's safety while we were gone, much like you were for mine, I'm sure," she says. "I was giving them room to have a family moment. Besides, I wanted to make sure you knew I was back."

"I guess we've never really had one of those, have we?" he asks.

"I got a hug from you. That's all I need."

"Do you need another one?"

"Pierce, I swear, if more than your nose pops over that wall I'm going to start throwing things," she says, giving him a firm look that she hopes he can hear in her voice.

"Oh. Right, naked. Sorry," his cheeks turn pink and he lowers his head a little. "It's hard to tell when people are wearing clothes sometimes. If it weren't for Winston I'd probably forget about them entirely in the right atmosphere." Karmen's lips tighten and she forces air through her lips, creating a raspberry sound before she bursts into laughter. "It wasn't that funny."

"I can just imagine you living on your own someday, casually forgetting to put on pants before walking outside." She chuckles again and wipes her eyes. "You'll have to have high walls or distant neighbors."

He hums in amusement. "I'm sure the breeze would remind me before I got too far." He hums again, thoughtfully this time. "I've never really given too much thought about living on my own. I'm not sure if I like the idea."

She unfolds slightly, settling a little deeper into the water so her shoulders are submerged. "Then I guess it's a good thing that we have so much work to do."

"Those lousy nobles do give me job security," he says. "Promise not to kick me out before the job is done?"

"Please. I'd be lost without you."

"You're a terrible liar, but I'll take that as a no," he says.

"Go get cleaned up." She lies back so that the only part of her out of the water is her face. "Pell promised me a demonstration this evening."

Pierce's smile tightens. "Right. Flying. Outside."

"Oh, come on. You'll be great. Pell had nothing but praise for you."

"I'm sure he just didn't want you to worry. I'm still pretty terrible." He gets a strange look on his face and she knows he's thinking of this morning's events.

"Why? Do you have anything to add to his side of things?" she asks, deciding this might be a good time to give him an opportunity to talk about it.

"I'm going to finish my bath now."

"Ok."

She closes her eyes and sinks beneath the water as his head sinks behind the divider. She won't push him. It has to be his decision. Maybe she should have told him about her reaction earlier, but like the mission plans, she wants to think it out and understand it herself first. Maybe it was the same for him. She can't help but wonder if the heads his hands form have eyes. She'd never been close enough to tell for sure. If they did, a key factor between them and his brain must be severed or else he would have been using them constantly. How much more frustrating would that be? To have eyes and still not be able to see? The alternative would be that they have empty sockets too, and if that was the case then how taunted he must feel. Her heart aches for him. He wouldn't accept her feeling sorry for him, so she composes herself before rising back to the surface.

She washes and dries, pulling her hair into a tight braid and dressing slowly in a loose blue dress with detailed beading. When she steps out into the hall she finds Pierce leaning against the wall in the robes he'd changed into earlier and soft cloth shoes. The sight of him warms her and she can't help but smile. "I'd like that hug now."

Wordlessly he pushes off the wall and takes two purposeful strides towards her. He wraps his arms around her back and pulls her close as she does the same. Her frame is so slight against his that his arms reach both of hers and she feels fully engulfed. "Would you mind… if I don't give a full demonstration tonight?" he asks softly. She can feel his fingers tighten on her arms. "I'd like to keep my clothes on this time." His heart does a little flutter against her ear. He could care less about his clothes.

"I'd like to see what you're comfortable showing me," she responds. She thinks about the hands again and hers tighten on his back. "I accept every part of you and I'm already proud of the progress you've made. Nothing can change that, so I hope you don't feel the need to hide anything from me."

He sighs into her hair. "I'm perfectly comfortable with you, Mistress," he tells her. "It's me I'm not comfortable with. Some of my transformations… need work."

"Promise you won't quit trying?"

He holds his breath for a second and she hears him rub a thumb against a forefinger. He exhales slowly. "For you, I promise."

"Good." She pulls back and his hands slide down to hers. "All that training this morning must have left you starving. Let's go eat."

They find the others already in the dining hall, just starting to take their chairs. "Ah. There you are," Igaram says cheerfully.

To her surprise Cobra leaves his chair half-drawn and takes large steps directly towards her. He hugs her tightly for a few seconds, leaving Karmen dazed. "Thank you for keeping your word to me and bringing Vivi home safely," he says, voice full of emotion. He withdraws, eyes glistening with sincerity. "And thank you for taking care of yourself. I don't think I could bear it if either of you had been injured."

"O-of course," she says softly. "She's perfectly capable, but we did have help from giants." Her speech speeds up as she talks.

She feels like she would have begun rambling if Pierce hadn't placed his hand on her shoulder. "You didn't mention giants."

"Or the dinosaur, I'm guessing," Vivi says with a sly giggle.

Both men turn their faces towards the Princess, speechless. Karmen gives a nervous laugh. "Maybe we should all sit and hear the whole story over food."

Those who are still standing sit and the food is brought from the kitchens. Karmen and Vivi begin their tale, taking turns to add details. The royal court sit dumbfound as she relates all the poisons she collected but Pierce listens intently, a smile on the corner of his lips as he listens to how her voice sparkles with happiness.

When they're finished Cobra looks like he may end up with a few gray hairs. "Vivi, it would make me a very happy father if you never set foot on that island again," he says. "But I'm glad you had fun."

"It was nice to see Dorry and Brogy again," Karmen says. "Maybe over dinner I'll tell you some of the adventures they related to us. There's one where they had a competition to try to climb the Red Line and another where they went geyser jumping and tried to make tidal waves when they fell back into the water. I've got them all written down in my room."

They finish and Pell directs his attention to his trainee, whose eyelids are beginning to droop now that he's had a warm bath and meal. "You should get some rest before tonight."

The bodyguard shakes his head, more to wake himself up than to refuse the statement. "The women just returned. I'd like to spend a little more time catching up."

Karmen places her hand on his and gives it a gentle squeeze. "Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

"If you insist, Mistress." Chaka muffles a snort at the sudden disappearance of his argument. Pierce stands from his chair and bows in the direction of the royal family. "Then if you'll excuse me, Your Majesties, I will see you later tonight."

He walks from the room and they wait a moment. Pell raises his eyebrow at Karmen in inquiry and she shakes her head. He opens his mouth to speak but Karmen raises her hand to make him pause, tracking her bodyguard's progress with her senses. When his door shuts and he lies on his bed she lowers it and gives him a nod. "We're clear."

"I was hoping you'd help me select weapons for him," Pell says. "We've discussed it with King Cobra and we'd be honored to provide him with something, but we wanted to wait for you, since you know his fighting style."

Karmen smiles and traces the sharp lines of the metal quill up her sleeve. "The last time I had free reign of an armory I came out with something quite exquisite," she says. "I'd been thinking about getting him something, so I'll gladly take you up on your offer." She winks at Cobra. "I promise I won't walk out with any national treasures."

He gives her his warm smile that makes her chest twinge again. "You may have whatever you need and more. Our stores are open to you, always."

She gives a small laugh. "You're lucky I'm not Nami. She'd clean you out." Her eyes soften on him acceptingly. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm sure he'll be delighted to hold a weapon again."

Chaka stands and pushes in his chair. "Shall we go now, then?"

She and Pell join him and they walk slowly down the halls. "So he didn't mention it at all, then?" The falcon guard asks her.

She shakes her head. "Other than giving me a sense that he was displeased with himself, no. I'll give him a few days to bring it up himself before I try again. He did seem hesitant about tonight. If he is I may have you take the standard action. I told him he doesn't have to make the full transformation, but I still expect him to push himself."

Chaka gives a hearty laugh. "At least we won't have to worry about him when you two go home."

He opens a door and Karmen is momentarily blinded by the amount of gleaming metal inside. Fan axes, swords, spears, clubs, naginata, daggers, short swords, bows and arrows, pistols, rifles, sea prism, and more. She walks the racks, trailing her fingers across decorative and balancing fabrics and polished metals, stopping on a haladie. She moves on to a bladed staff and a set of buugeng.

"You think he'd prefer two weapons?" Chaka asks.

"He was raised and trained by Revolutionaries skilled in hand to hand combat," she responds as she keeps moving. "If he doesn't want to make those last transformations, we might as well give him something else to do with his hands." Her eyes fall on a set of riot baton-like weapons. "Those."

The guards smile. "I think those suit him nicely."

"Would you like anything for yourself?" Chaka asks. "We have plenty."

She rounds a table of hammers, daggers, chakram, and knives and faces a spear rack against the wall. She picks up one with a crimson shaft and a quillion that reminds her of a pressed flower framing the leaf-shaped blade. Her hand trails down the blue sash attached to the shaft. "Does this come in purple?"

* * *

Pierce wakes up hours later to someone closing his bedroom door. Though the familiar scent of the perfume gives him the indication that it could be one of two people he still has to give a supersonic call to verify that the person is Karmen's height. "What time is it?" he asks.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Not really," he says. "I've been in and out. I was thinking about getting up soon."

She sits next to his bed. "Are you ready?"

His hands trail across his robes and he frowns. "Let me put on some pants."

She steps back out into the hall and waits. When he returns he's wearing a simple pair of black pants and his soft shoes. She hums softly as he ties his hair back in a low ponytail. "Here in about a week you'll be ready for that tattoo. I'm looking forward to this."

From the air temperature inside the building he can feel that he had slept until about fifteen minutes before sundown. "What have you been doing?"

"I was in the medical wing teaching the palace doctors how to make antidotes and playing with their chemistry equipment."

He snorts. "I hope you washed it afterward."

"Only ten times."

"I'm sure they appreciate your attention to detail." He cocks his head to the side and frowns at the lack of sound. "Where is everyone else?"

"I sent them up already." They find the stairs and make their way to a large balcony beneath one of the palace's three domed roofs. Igaram and his wife, Terracotta, are standing there next to Vivi and Cobra, talking happily amongst themselves near the railings. Pell and Chaka are overseeing a few guard exercises a few feet away. The soldiers are swinging swords, but they have longbows and arrows carefully placed nearby. All in all, there are about twenty people in the area.

She feels Pierce hesitate and take a step closer to her. "I wasn't expecting so many people. I should have worn a shirt."

"You're about to grow a bunch of wings and fur. You can put a shirt on later. Most of these people are professional guards who've lived through a civil war. They see scars every day." She takes his arm and drags him forward. She bypasses everyone, giving them a wave in greeting, and goes straight to Pell and Chaka. "I'm sure if you're uncomfortable we can send the other guards to train somewhere else?" She looks to them inquiringly.

Pierce straightens immediately. "No. That's quite alright, Mistress. This demonstration is for your benefit."

She smiles. "There's the bodyguard I know." She gives Pell a wink. "I'll leave it to you, then."

She and Chaka step back and stand by the royal family. "Is he ok?" he asks softly, observing the remaining two with crossed arms.

"Of course he is." She watches his ear twitch in their direction. "The worst he could do is drop like a rock. Pell wouldn't let him die. Bruise, maybe, but not die." This gets an eyeless glare which, in turn, receives a giggle. "He's fine."

Pell rolls his shoulders, stretching his back muscles and rotating his neck. "I know you just woke up so let's do our normal warm up." She notices that Pierce begins to relax next to the guard captain, confidence building. He kicks off his shoes before they step onto the railing and fall straight down, arms trailing behind them. Everyone watches as they transform midair, one sprouting feathers, one sprouting fur and leather. Their wings catch the air as they unfurl and they continue to ride it downwards, zigzagging across each other's path until they reach the courtyard. There are some gasps from the watching guards as they level out, brushing the grass with their claws. They shoot upwards, spiraling with their backs to each other. They dive low again and sweep up the edge of the palace the way they had fallen, creating a wind that whips everyone's hair around their faces as they pass. Diving again they dodge around pillars in the gardens and under arches. Karmen notices one moment when Pierce's wing brushes Pell's, causing them both to falter for half a second.

Pell performs a barrel roll that Pierce doesn't and Chaka seems to take this as a signal. He reaches inside his sleeves and removes them with throwing knives between each finger. He has a competitive, almost dark look in his eye, but Karmen makes no move to stop him. He throws them at the pair below, either one at a time or in groups of three. When his hand empties he reaches back into his sleeve for more. Pell ducks, weaves, tucks, and rolls, avoiding all of the blades as they slide between his feathers and bury themselves in the ground. Watching him is a graceful dance of practiced discipline and skill, pure elegance in the air. Pierce… not so much.

She watches as he slams into the top of a pillar to avoid a knife, rolling off it and barely being able to correct his flight and avoid the ground. He still has to push off the grass to get back to speed. He beats his wings fiercely and just barely misses them being clipped by the second knife. The third rips his pants just above the knee but misses his skin. He loops around pillars in the garden to dodge the next volley, but one grazes his right cheek, leaving a smear of red in his fur just beneath his eye socket. He barely manages to dodge the next three using similar methods. He's never able to recover enough or predict the knives out far enough to dodge them effectively.

"Are you even trying to hit him?" Karmen asks. Chaka gives her a surprised look as she holds her hand out to him. Hesitantly, he gives her the five in his left hand. Everyone looks at her warily. Pierce's sensitive ears had heard the exchange and they could see his sockets widen in horror and the curse on his lips that is lost in the wind. She takes careful note of his trajectory and aims before throwing it. He had sped up but now has to pull back sharply to keep the back of his head from being skewered. "Come on, Pierce!" she growls down at him. "I saw you dodge better when you were ten!"

"Um… Karmen, this is just supposed to be a demonstration. He's still new to this," Vivi says, giving her negotiating smile with upheld hands as the secretary throws the next one. It clips the edge of Pierce's wing as he banks hard to the left. "Maybe we should just-"

"No way!" Karmen declares. "He's not even trying!" She throws another knife, forcing him to catch a claw on a pillar and spiral around it as it grazes stone. Chaka raises a hand to take the last two from her and she levels a quill under her eye, poised to strike. "Anyone who tries to stop me gets poisoned, royalty included." Her unwavering voice and fierce eyes make them all draw back a step. This is the member of the Strawhat Pirates who keeps a desert strawberry as a pet. There's no doubt in their minds to her sincerity.

She throws the fourth, causing Pierce to fall off the pillar and land hard on his backside. She throws the last knife immediately after, giving him no chance to dodge. Pell catches it before it can embed itself into the soft tissue between Pierce's sockets. Sweat drips down his forehead and he falls back onto his elbows, transforming back into human form.

"Hey." The guards blanch as they realize she's addressing them. "You guys have arrows, right? Aim them at me when it's time. You'll know when." With a dark expression, Karmen steps onto the railing and over it, letting her heels catch the side of the building to slow her fall. Ten feet before she reaches the ground she pushes off the wall and performs a flip, landing gracefully in the grass. Pell smartly backs up a few paces and Pierce tries to scramble back some as she approaches. In a blink, she's closed the distance between them and she cuts off his path of escape. Reaching down, she grasps one of his horns and she hauls him up so that he has to stretch his arms back fully to support himself. A wave of weakness and nausea washes over him with the fear that pools in the pit of his stomach. "Listen here, bat boy. Just because you don't have your eyes anymore doesn't mean you're blind," she says coldly. "Bats are some of the most aerodynamic creatures in the sky. I know you've got some weird instinctual stuff going on in your head. Stop ignoring it. Use it. I told you it was ok not to make the full transformation. I didn't say you could give anything less than your best."

The look he gives her is so defeated that her hand turns white with the pressure she puts on his horn. "I'm sorry, Mistress," he says airily. "I can't. I just can't."

She shoves him away, forcing him to fall hard on his back. "Of course you can. You just need more motivation." She looks at Pell and motions up and to the right with her eyes. "Pell, plan T." He doesn't hesitate to question her. He sweeps her up in his talons and carries her high in the air.

Gasping Pierce curses and immediately gets up to chase them, leaping into the air to transform only to fall back down, still human, still weak from her touch. "Seriously?" he yells after them as the realization hits him. "Where'd you put the sea prism?!" He begins searching his pants. "You're insane!"

He finds her feather dart in his hair, ripping it out and tossing it aside along with his hairband, right as Pell drops Karmen off on the top of the tower on the far Western side of the Palace. He tosses it to the side as she begins running down one of the long window frames. "It's do or die, Pierce!" she calls to him. "Either accept your abilities, or let me fall to my death." She pushes off the tower hard, flying far out into the open air. She stretches her arms wide and lets herself sail quickly downward, not flinching at the ground that's rising up to meet her. Vivi gasps and covers her mouth, too horrified to look away. Cobra looks just as shocked, knuckles white as he grips the railing. Terracotta shows signs of fainting and Igaram supports her, face pale.

Pierce doesn't wait around to drop another curse. Six wings instantly sprout from his back and he pushes off the ground so hard he cracks the tile path beneath him. He meets her halfway, hooking his feet around her waist and thumbs under her arms as he latches onto her back. His furry chest cushions her impact as he backpedals to a standstill. The light from the setting sun shines through his wings like fleshy stained glass as he pants in her ear. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, dear," she says with a satisfied smile. "Thanks for the catch."

"Again, you are insane." He lowers her slowly down to the top of a column and she reaches out for it with the tips of her toes and holds his thumbs to her shoulders as she supports both their weights and keeps them balanced. She barely registers the looks of relief from their observers as she takes in his status.

"Do you have your breath back?" she asked as he begins to calm down.

"I think so," he says.

"Good. Then get comfortable back there, because you're about to have to use those wings." She cups her hands around her mouth, aiming her face towards where the royal guard was standing with bows drawn. "Chaka!" The jackal guard gives the signal and, sweating and gulping, the guards release a volley of arrows.

"Oh for Kudra's sake." He sighs heavily into her back.

She tilts her head back until it's resting atop his. "Come on, partner. Let's give them a real demonstration." She somersaults off the pillar and he uses his wings to weave between the deadly shafts. He has to pull in two wings to keep them from being shot through, but Karmen only feels the passing breeze from the shafts. She uses her haki to sense the direction and distance of the arrows and twist her body in the direction Pierce needs to fly to avoid them, moving in a graceful dance to the whistling of the projectiles. They're able to dodge the first three volleys this way due to the guards still being uncertain about her orders. Pierce quickens to her commands as time passes, moving with her and letting her lead the dance where she needs to, letting pure feeling take over his senses. She does not have to sync with him. They're already the perfect partners. He'd only forgotten somewhere amidst the anger and the pain. She'd make him remember.

The next five volleys are shot with more conviction. Fewer arrows fall several feet away from them and it becomes harder to dodge. Karmen pulls out her quills again and uses them to deflect spare shafts. Pierce flies faster, taking more risks as he goes. He flies sideways to avoid three arrows, putting his body between them and Karmen, wingtips brushing the grass. The projectiles tickle his fur but pass by without cutting him. While he's righting himself she notices an arrow headed toward his ribs that is outside the range of her arms. Acting quickly, she taps the fletching of the arrow with her toe, causing it to tilt upwards. The side of the shaft bounces off the top of Pierce's wing instead of the arrow tip piercing him. This off balances him and she rolls in the air, forcing him to fly upside down while she throws four feather darts simultaneously to deflect arrows that he otherwise wouldn't be able to dodge.

Not being able to right himself from this position, she flips her feet over her head until they're both vertical, dropping them to ground level. Her feet make contact with the grass and they slide backwards, facing the full brunt of the last volley in a crouched position. "Pierce?" He doesn't have time to reply. He moves five wings in front of Karmen as the arrows race towards them. The leather of his skin turns black and metallic as they close in. Dozens of arrows bounce harmlessly off his wings while others snap and shatter on contact, all but one. They both hold their breath as the single arrow slides through the last remaining space between his wings and continues straight for Karmen's chest, stopping suddenly. No one on the outside can tell if that last arrow struck home. Everyone up on the balcony grips the railing, unable to blink as the dust settles.

Pierce pants heavily, sweat glistening in his fur. Inside his wings there is a single bat head with empty sockets for eyes at the end of a wrist, clutching the shaft of the arrow in its teeth, arrowhead millimeters away from the fabric of Karmen's dress over her heart. She too breathes heavily, but there's a smile on her face. She carefully leans over the head in front of her and wraps her arms around it in a loose hug to avoid the arrow's point. "I knew you had it in you." Haki fades from Pierce's wings as he unfolds them. By the time it is visible, his hand has reverted to a claw. He sets the arrow down on the grass and Karmen sits back, leaning on him slightly as she exhales, then laughs. "That was fun."

"You," he says breathlessly in her ear, "are still the most insane person I've ever met." He rests his fuzzy chin on her shoulder. "Was that the last of them?"

"Yeah. They're empty."

"Good." He groans and withdrawals all but two wings. He wraps the remaining set around her. "Karmen?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

She smiles and lies her head on his. Pell approaches. "Are you-" She shushes him.

"He's asleep." She stands up and Pierce's head lulls on her shoulder, his wings adjust so that he can cling to her back more comfortably as he snores. "Think that was enough of a push?" she asks.

Pell nods and smiles fondly at her. "You work well together."

She smiles over at her bodyguard's fuzzy snout, feeling his peaceful breathing and slowing heartbeat against her back. "We always have."

* * *

Author's Note: I absolutely loved writing this chapter. I know it was long (thank you for taking the time to read it) but I couldn't bring myself to break it up because then we'd have another transition chapter and there would be too much time in between the two. I've waited for months to tell you about Pierce's new abilities and I'm so excited that he finally gets some time on the page. He has some growing to do, but I've got big things planned for the fuzzy bodyguard.

For those of you wondering about my tests, I've taken two so far and I think they went pretty well.

I'm in a commission mood. I wanted to open up a poll but they don't have an open answer option so I'll ask you here: Within the Scarlet universe, what are things you'd like to see or interactions you'd like to take place?

If they don't contain spoilers or I don't already have something similar planned out, I'll pick at least three that I like and write them out. If you have a scene you'd like for me to write then drop it in a review or PM and I'll give it a go! If I do not write out your suggestion I'll message you and tell you the reason why.

I look forward to what you all come up with!


	63. Chapter 63: Defender

**A.N.:** Hello everyone!

Sadly we're getting to the end of Karmen and Pierce's time in Alabasta. I almost feel guilty for preparing to throw them back into the world of Nobles, Warlords, and Emperors. (Almost.) I'm getting nostalgic about this country and they haven't even left it yet. Be prepared for things to start getting dark again. Not everywhere can be as sunny and happy as Alabasta, especially under DavenGallow influence. There's still a few chapters until then, but I feel like I should drop the warning, nevertheless. KeturahDaine, WyseInk, and I always seem to get back onto the subject of how I torture my characters, sometimes literally (Sorry, Pierce). All I can say without giving spoilers is that sometimes things have to get worse in order to make them better.

The last section is a commissioned piece for CANT HANDLE THIS VANILLA who wanted to see more Karmen/Vivi. I know this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but it's the closest they're going to get. Still, I hope you enjoy. I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon.

I'll be taking story-related commissions for another two weeks, so if you want to know something like if Camilla can get Dr. Saaresto to do a backflip, see Karmen ride something other than a fish, or see what Ikaika does when he's not ruining someone's day, shoot me a message or drop it in a review. Heck, I'd be up for making something explode. I look forward to seeing what you all can come up with.

* * *

Down in the basement of the palace, Pell nods his satisfaction. "Well, I'm sure you won't fall out of the sky now. You've made some great improvements this week." Chaka makes a small hum of agreement.

Pierce had just woken up after the flight demonstration. He'd slept the entire night and eaten twice as much as usual for breakfast. King Cobra gaped in amazement at the amount of food he was able to pack away, but the princess and royal guards simply smiled at his enthusiasm. Pierce still hadn't talked about the extra body parts he can create, but now he knew that Karmen knew and they could keep an acknowledged silence between them on the subject. She'd said he could talk about it when he was ready. He didn't seem to feel the time for this had come, but ever since his transformations had come with less reluctance.

Now that they'd had a breakthrough, he seemed eager to continue his training. Pierce bows his head in acknowledgment to the guard captains. "Thank you for being such a patient teacher, even if you do use my Mistress and her belongings as collateral."

"Oh, we're not done yet." A mischievous grin spreads on Pell's face and Karmen can't help but think what's about to come next will be interesting. She's glad Pierce can't see it, or else he'd be shoving her behind him instead of preparing his wings for another chase.

Pell steps over to a stone slab against the wall that's covered by loosely woven fabric. He gently lifts this aside to reveal two weapons. They look like police batons with razor sharp blades coming from the top and curving in a long arc down to the bottom. They're weapons meant for a defensive purpose which can be used offensively if the situation required.

"These are tonfa blades," Pell says, leading Pierce's hand to them and making sure he doesn't cut himself on the edge. His fingers flutter across the blade, down the arm guard, and back up to the handle. He picks them up, spreading his wings a little so that he can hold the weapons comfortably. Pride swells within her as Karmen takes in the sight of her bodyguard. He makes a striking figure, edgy and fiercely protective. "I noted that you tend to guard with your forearms while sparring. These ought to save you a few bruises in your future endeavors."

"You're saying I can keep these?" Pierce asks.

"King Cobra said to consider them a gift from the Nefeltari family."

"I couldn't possibly-" Karmen clears her throat and Pierce improves his posture as Vivi descends the stairs. "I'll be sure to thank His Majesty at dinner tonight. These make a wonderful gift. I'll put them to good use."

Pell and Karmen share a smile. While it's rude to refuse a gift from royalty she doesn't think Cobra and Vivi would really mind if he preferred something else as his primary weapons. Pell offers him a set of plain tonfa to practice with.

Chaka grins. "My turn."

Karmen is suddenly sitting at a small table covered with a lace cloth and fully ladened with a porcelain tea set from the kitchen. There is a second chair that she offers to Vivi. "You're going to have to tell me how you do that," the princess says. Karmen only smiles and sips her steaming drink. Pierce gives her a grin. If he had eyes she would have returned it with a wink.

"So what's the game this time around? Knife dodging?" Pierce asks, holding his bladeless tonfa up to demonstrate that he's ready. He bounces slightly on the balls of his feet.

Chaka draws his shinai. "I want you to do your job."

Pierce's ears turn between Chaka and Karmen. "Her Royal Majesty and I would not like to be disturbed," Karmen says.

Pell draws his own bamboo sword. "I'll cover Vivi."

"Come on," Pierce says. "I don't need that much help."

Chaka draws back the shinai for his first strike. "Atrophied muscles, dearie," Karmen reminds him. Pierce is barely able to deflect the lunge as it slices across his guarded forearms. "You may have been able to beat him two years ago, but Dr. Saaresto's assessment shouldn't be ignored. I expect you to do your best. That's an order."

Pierce shoves Chaka's sword to the side. "Yes, Mistress."

Karmen tells Vivi about her recent work with her toxins using the medical wing's equipment while the men train. The sharp relief of wood against wood does nothing to stifle their conversation.

Pell blocks one of the heavier over the head swings from Chaka and Pierce reverses one of his tonfa to jab it into the guard's stomach. Chaka swings his leg around and kicks the weapon causing it to twist to the side in Pierce's hand. The tonfa grazes Chaka's side uselessly and when Pierce recovers he'd already pushed Pell away and is preparing his next attack. He swings down at Karmen's unconcerned head and Pierce thrusts a wing forward to pull him backward. His clawed thumb catches the man's right shoulder and he pulls hard. The shinai smashes into the ground inches away from Karmen's foot. With a twist and a turn of the heels, he flings Chaka away from the table and regains his position between them. Pell rushes forward, lunging at Chaka's midriff. He parries and sends Pell towards the center of the room, assisting him by striking him across the back. This time Chaka pushes forward, feigning a slice at Pierce's head but driving his shoulder into his stomach instead. The bodyguard almost falls into the table but at the last moment he produces two sets of wings. One set pushes him up off the ground as he uses his feet to push Chaka back. His second set of wings braces against the wall over Karmen's head. He flips over her and pushes off the wall with his feet, launching himself at Chaka. Instead of striking with his tonfa he extends a set of wings and drives them into his chest. The soldier counters with a swipe that Pell blocks.

With some pacing and a few pauses to give pointers, this session last about an hour. By this point, the tea and snacks are gone and Vivi is giving Karmen pointers on economics and peaceful resolutions in stressful situations. Karmen has given every illusion that she's completely forgotten about the training happening all around her but Vivi catches her glancing to the side mid-sentence when Pierce takes a particularly heavy blow. At the end of the hour, all three men are exhausted and drenched in sweat. "Bath time?" Pell asks. The other two nod.

Pierce stows his weapons against the wall and stretches. "Mistress," he says slowly. "What are you going to do?"

"Hm?" she looks up at him to assess his thoughts. He's trying to act nonchalant but she can tell he's having a hard time not fidgeting. "I was going to go back up to the medical wing and work on my poisons."

"Ah. Ok. I'll just head up with them, then." He withdraws his wings and takes slow steps towards the stairs.

Karmen gets up and begins walking next to him. "In case you were wondering," she says in a low voice, "according to my haki there aren't any eels in the onsen."

He exhales and visibly relaxes. "Am I that easy to read?"

"You have me check every time," she responds. There is no indication in her tone that would imply she finds this fact tedious. "I've got your back."

He smiles at her. "Have fun in the lab. I'll come annoy you when I'm done."

"Fat chance of that, dearie," she says. "You don't even annoy me when you're snoring on my back."

"I snore?"'

"I wouldn't quite call it chainsaw, but it's certainly consistent some days and you tend to put your face right next to my ear."

"My apologies, Mistress."

"Don't apologize for something you have no control over," she says with a smile. "Like I said, I don't mind." In truth she'd sometimes sit there listening to him sleep, still marveling at the fact that he was there and alive. It had been touch and go for a while, especially before they'd found Law, but his progress up to this point is something she can't help but be astounded by. There had been points when she'd never thought she'd hear him make any sound ever again. She'll take snoring, yelling, screaming, crying, anything, so long as he's alive. He'd grown stronger each day and she'd rely on that strength in the months to come. Again, she's happy to just have him there by her side. This alone gives her strength.

Over the next three days training goes much the same. The men spar for an hour at a time in the mornings and usually lift weights in the afternoons. Karmen spent several hours in the medical ward but Pell and Chaka both agree that Pierce improves faster with her in the basement for him to defend. They decided to move her chemistry equipment downstairs and have him ensure that not a beaker wobbled. It usually helped when Karmen stated that she was working on a particularly delicate mixture that needed her utmost concentration and as little disturbance as possible. Pierce always used more of his transformations for combat during these time windows. They kept them short at first, but Karmen eventually began drawing out her delicate mixtures and day by day Pierce's muscles remembered what they had once been conditioned for.

At sunset when it's cooler they go out into the courtyard and Karmen works individually with Pierce. She ties a sash over her eyes and only uses her haki and other senses to face him. This way they both got some training in and Pierce gets used to Karmen's fighting style. Pell thought she might pass up her sea prism infused metal quills to give him more of an advantage, but she doesn't hold back past only using her itching venom. Pierce uses his bladeless tonfa against her. Several soldiers and servants join the royal family and their guard to observe them. Pierce is never comfortable with several pairs of eyes on him, but Karmen doesn't give him much of an opportunity to give them his attention. "This will help your concentration. Feel free to retaliate, not that you'll be able to hit me."

"I don't really desire to strike you, mistress," Pierce says.

She gives a smirk that he can hear in her voice. "Don't worry, I'll change your mind. Sync." She gets into a forward-leaning fighting stance and dashes towards him on light feet. "A Thousand Ants." He pulls back but doesn't defend, allowing her to leave a small nick on his forearm. She watches him stumble and almost fall at the touch of her weapon and, through her synchronization, she can feel his strength momentarily leave his body before the bit leaves his skin.

He takes a few steps backward and rubs the scratch. "That really itches."

"I concentrated it," she says. "If you don't want to itch, don't let me hit you." She draws her quills up in the beginning of a ribbon dance that she'd learned as a child. It would be perfect for dodging his attacks. "Hit me if you can. That's an order."

He sighs and strikes at her half-heartedly. "I'm supposed to be defending you," he says as she swings her arms in wide arcs, knocking his away. "Not attacking you."

"Think of it this way," she says as she strikes her quill into his left shoulder. His momentary weakness is replaced with a skin-crawling sensation. "The harder you try to hit me, the better I'll get at defending myself. I can dodge just fine but if anyone can see past my haki I'll be in trouble."

He strikes with more conviction. "So I'm putting myself out of a job?" he asks.

She sweeps her leg up with her arms and plants her foot firmly in his chest. She catches his foot as he tries to keep his balance and flips him over his own head and onto his stomach. "You're making sure that if you are ever put out of commission will be able to survive long enough to see you again." She holds her hand out to him. "What do you say, bodyguard. Save my life?"

He spits grass out of his mouth. "Well, when you put it like that…"

He sweeps his legs around, aimed at her knees. She leaps over them with a grin. "Now that's more like it."

Despite his renewed efforts, Karmen did not much improve over the next few days. Still, her haki allowed her to remain standing unharmed while Pierce writhed on the ground, too itchy to continue the training until she administered the antidote. Each time Karmen pushed the sash up to her forehead and sat there for a moment staring at the bottle before saying she'd be working in the medical ward. Pierce would have to drag her from her chemistry set to bed. Too quickly it seemed, the last week dwindled away. When their last full day arrived, Cobra suggested they spend it relaxing.

Deciding to go to the market and enjoy their last visage of normal life for a while, Karmen and Pierce set out with Vivi, Chaka, and Pell shortly after an early breakfast. They have to engulf Pierce in heavy robes to protect him from the sun. He wears the large tricorn hat and proudly straps his new weapons to his belt sash. They chat happily as they walk. The early morning sunlight had yet to begin baking the stones and streets and for once Pierce looks quite comfortable walking through the desert kingdom in the day.

"Your people seem so happy," Pierce says, lifting his chin slightly as he listens to the laughter and bustle of the nearby shopping district. "It's a refreshing change. If it wasn't so hot here I'd consider buying a summer home."

"I'd happily loan you the money," Karmen teases. "We haven't done anything with those gems yet and you turned down a cabin back on the island." She glances at the princess. "Do they build subterranean homes here?"

Vivi giggles. "You're welcome to our basement any time."

A few people bump into him on their way through the kiosks. "Maybe something on the edge of town. I'm not too fond of crowds." He was right that there are a lot of people out at this time of day. Some are buying food and general household items for the day. Others are tourists or locals enjoying a day off from work. It's sensory overload, even if you don't have heightened senses. Still, he doesn't complain. Karmen examines fabrics that Winston might like and Vivi shows her colorful glass bangles and other traditional jewelry.

They are all enjoying themselves when a child screams, causing them all to freeze. The men reach for their weapons but halt when they realize her eyes are trained on Pierce. Karmen recognizes the look of flashbacks on the faces of the guards as they force their fingers to relax. She wonders if, like Pierce, their recent trauma still lives ever present in their minds.

"Mommy! Mommy! What happened to that man's face? He doesn't have any eyes!" The child trembles and hides behind a woman's skirts. Karmen grits her teeth and her hands tighten until her knuckles turn white.

The woman's face turns pale as she realizes who Pierce is walking with. "Your Majesty, please forgive her. She's just a child." She pulls her child forward, forcing her head into a bow as she herself bends at the waist. "Apologize this instant!"

Karmen steps forward and kneels in front of the child. Her anger has been replaced by a soft smile. "This is my friend Pierce. He's a very nice man. You're right. He doesn't have his eyes anymore, and I know he has a lot of scars, but he's not scary, I promise," she says. "Would you like to meet him?"

The child's eyes flick from Karmen to the starburst scarring around Pierce's eye sockets. She steps closer to her mother. "What happened to him?"

Pierce crouches next to Karmen and gives his friendliest smile. "A mean man hurt me because I stopped him from doing something bad and that made him angry," he says. "But my friend helped me and I got away. We came to visit your princess and the soldiers to help me get better."

She steps forward half a foot. "Will your eyes grow back?"

Pierce's smile tightens. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. I see with my ears now."

She looks at him. "You're weird and creepy," she says, voice wining slightly. "Mom, mom, can we go? Please?"

The mom grasps her daughter's hand, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She bows deeply. "Please forgive her insolence. I am so sorry. We won't bother you again." The woman rushes off, dragging her child behind her. Karmen stands slowly, face lowered. She opens her mouth to speak when Pierce jolts back into a standing position.

He lowers his hat far over his empty sockets and straightens his collar nonchalantly. "Shall we go on?" he asks, voice casual.

Vivi bites her lower lip. "Are you alright?" Her voice is soft and concerned.

"I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable, Lady Vivi," he states in the same tone as before. "I suppose I'll be getting a lot of that being out in public." His voice trails off at the end. "Please forgive any inconvenience I've caused you and your associates, Mistress. I could walk a few feet away from you if it would make you more comfortable."

Karmen fades momentarily and reappears to give him a kick to his back, sending him sprawling in the dirt on his face. Several pedestrians rush to the side to prevent him from crashing into them. Vivi gasps and steps forward to stop Karmen but Pell puts a hand on her shoulder and holds her back. This is between them. The crowd parts slightly, fearing a fight might ensue. "I swear," Karmen growls. "You say one bad thing about a single one of your scars and I'll smack you." She removes his hat completely and grabs him by the horn, pulling him up to her eye level. If he had never known Karmen he would still have his eyes and pristine skin. Every single mark on his body is there because of his association with her. "Every scar you have is a sign of what you were willing to go through to keep me safe. They're signs of your service and devotion and I am honored by every. Single. One. No, you never deserved what he put you through, but the fact of the matter is that it is an experience you will live with the rest of your life. You asked to stay on as my bodyguard knowing what we're going to throw ourselves back into and that's a strength that I can only admire. I don't care if you don't have eyes. I wouldn't care if you had half an ear, one arm, and a peg-leg. I don't care if you sprout so many claws that you look like a sea urchin. You survived. You beat his sick, twisted game, so spread your bat wings and own it."

The corners of his mouth twitch slightly as he tries to come up with a response. "Forgive my bluntness, but it's quite obvious that you were raised by world nobles."

Her scowl thins slightly. "I'm assuming it's the abnormal signs of affections and not the eleven years we've spent together that gave you that insight?" she asks. They both laugh and she drops his horn, letting him fall back to sit on his knees.

"Thirteen," he says. "We've known each other for thirteen years."

She presses his hat back over his head, tilting it back away from his eyes, and grabs his arm to help him to his feet. "Yeah, but I wasn't there for the last two." She hooks her elbow through his. "Come on. People have been staring since the kid showed up."

The crowd parts to let them through with the royal escort. Karmen notes the soft smiles of the guards behind Vivi and the princess' exasperated but heartwarming one. Her elbow tightens around his and she places her free hand on his arm. Let them stare. He'd earned his time in the sun a thousand times over.

"Sometimes I still don't think I am worthy to be your bodyguard," he says softly.

She gives a content sigh. "You really are an idiot."

They move to a less crowded area of the market and find a booth selling medical equipment and chemistry supplies. Karmen picks up a mechanical medicine grinder off a table and turns the crank. "Do you think Saaresto would-"

Pierce grows a set of wings, tearing through his clothing, and takes to the air in a rush of wind that nearly blows them off their feet. The wares on the table are still rattling as he disappears over the rooftop of a nearby building. They soon hear an alarmed cry from an alley two buildings away. They hurry over to find Pierce pinning two men against the wall with one of his tonfa blades pressed to their throats. He has the other held in reverse, ready to punch them in the gut with the blunt end if they try anything. Both men look like low-level thugs. They wear beige robes and have daggers that are now lying uselessly on the ground. One man has violet hair and the other teal.

The top half of Pierce's torn robes dangle in shreds at his waist, belt the only thing keeping him clothed. His shoulder and arm muscles ripple dangerously with each snarling breath he takes. Pell gives Karmen a concerned look but she shakes her head. He may be angry, but he's still in control. "Report."

"They made you," Pierce growls, fur sprouting along his shoulders. "They were about to report your location."

"Doflamingo?"

"I believe so."

Karmen gets a steely look in her eye. "Right. Good work. I'll handle things from here." She leans in and glowers at the men. "If you know who I am then you know the kind of people I grew up around. Do you really want to make me angry?" They aren't given time to start sweating. With a few pricks of deadbolt, she immobilizes the men and Pierce picks them up like loose timbers under his arms. She glances around. They're against the back of a restaurant. Karmen pushes open the kitchen door and Pierce follows. She gives a pleasant smile to the confused staff as the royal escort steps in behind them. Not wanting to interrupt royal business, they quietly turn back to their work. "We're going to borrow your bathroom." The owners can only stare as Pierce pushes the requested door open and deposits the men inside. Karmen shoes him out the doorway and leans against the frame. "This will only take a few minutes." The door closes and the lock clicks.

"Shouldn't we be helping her?" Pell asks. Interrogation isn't his favorite thing in the world but he knows it can prove effective in the right situations.

"She said she'd handle it herself," the bodyguard says.

"What is she doing to them?" Vivi asks hesitantly.

"It may be better not to ask," Pierce responds.

"Do _they_ need help?" Chaka asks.

"Not in the sense you mean," Pierce states flatly. "Karmen would never go as far as Ikaika or Willow, but I would be lying if I said she didn't pick up a few things."

"You said they were going to report to Doflamingo? The warlord?" Pell asks.

Pierce nods. "Karmen informed me of her battle with the Baroque Agent Mr. 6 during her last visit. He was a bounty hunter employed by Willow. The men who killed him were on Doflamingo's payroll."

"But he died after eating a desert strawberry spider," Vivi says. "It was our medical staff who performed the autopsy."

Pierce gives her a mirthless expression. "They put it there, yes, but during the time in which it would have taken the poison to take effect, he was pursuing Karmen. When you're on a job for people related to Celestial Dragons you don't stop to forage or snack."

"How many of Doflamingo's men do you think are still in our country?" Vivi asks as the information settles in. Rage of having another warlord's influence over her people flares in her eyes.

"I'm sure that's what Karmen is asking our friends in there," Pierce says. "He has his claws in most black markets and undergrounds. It's actually hard for us to get information without running into his men sometimes. If we didn't have our golden sources back West we wouldn't be getting anywhere."

Chaka raises an eyebrow. "You have black market contacts?"

Pierce cocks his head back at him. "Is that such a surprise? Karmen is a pirate facing off against World Nobles and serving under Straw Hat Luffy. We can't exactly go to the Marines for assistance."

"I expected them to be screaming," Pell says, leaning close to the door. He'd kept his focus on the bathroom the entire time they'd been speaking. "Is she really interrogating them?"

Pierce frowns in the same direction. "I have barely heard anything either, which is strange. The door's not that thick." He turns his back to the door, acting as a physical barrier between it and the others. "I'm afraid I cannot let them be disturbed until she's finished."

"We weren't going to force our way in," Pell says as he takes a few steps back. "We know she's not killing them."

"Unless there's something we don't know about?" Chaka asks, eyes narrowing.

Pierce hesitates until he catches the faintest trace of Vivi's perfume. He'd almost gotten used to her wearing it. Karmen trusts them. He should trust them too. That's what she'd wanted him to do, right? Start trusting people again? He takes a deep breath and speaks quietly. "Before Karmen killed herself Doflamingo tried to recruit her. During this interaction, he admitted having Mr. 6 killed to monopolize information. His enlistment methods generally don't involve asking the person's opinion on the matter beforehand, especially if he goes through the trouble of asking you in person. He has a join or die policy. We've seen it before. If he knew she was still alive, things would get a lot harder for us."

"On the roof the other night she said he told her that Ikaika and Willow weren't her real parents to try to convince her to join him. Why does he want Karmen?" Vivi asks. The guards give the princess a shocked look at this new bit of information.

Pierce sighs. "He has his own sick, twisted purposes that we have yet to be informed of. It's just the kind of filth he is. I'm afraid I cannot express how I fully feel about that man in the presence of a lady." His voice shakes with anger as he says this, but he composes himself. Still, fur begins to sprout from his bared shoulders as his jaw works with the murderous phrases he bites back. His ear turns suddenly and the fur disappears as the door opens behind him.

Karmen steps out, tucking a quill into its holster on her belt. She has a small stack of papers tucked under one arm, each covered in freshly dried ink. "They won't remember a thing about us now." Everyone except Pierce looks past her to where the men lie slumped against each other unconscious on the tile floor.

"What did you do to them?" Pell asks.

"I used the flexomn toxin and nicely suggested that they tell me everything they know." She looks around at their dubious faces. "What, you didn't think I would waste sunblade on that scum, did you?"

"And the memory?" Vivi asks.

"I have a variant of the same toxin that erases the last thirty minutes from a person's mind," she answers.

"You never told me about that one," Pierce says, leaning forward curiously.

"You don't remember me telling you about it, you mean," she says. She laughs at the dumbfounded expression he gives her. "I'm just teasing, dear. I was playing around with my toxins and discovered it the other day. I had to tell one of the poor doctors how to make the antidote for desert strawberry venom all over again. I told you poking around the desert and Little Garden would be beneficial." She hands a portion of her stack of paper to Chaka. "I think you and your soldiers will find these people need to be asked a few questions. Take care of it as quietly as you can. Doflamingo isn't the type of man you want angry, though these guys are probably the bottom of the totem pole."

Vivi peeks over his shoulder and blanches slightly, eyes widening. "This many?" Each sheet has at least three columns of names sectioned off into various towns and business locations.

"That few," Karmen corrects. "I think you rounded up most of them with the Baroque Works agents. That being said, Pierce and I should get off the streets for a bit."

Vivi catches Karmen's sleeve as she begins to walk by. "Thank you."

Karmen stares ahead and gives the ground a distant smile. "What are you talking about? I'm a dangerous pirate who traded knowledge for safe passage through your kingdom. Make no mistake, I got the information for me. Helping clean the trash off the streets is just a bonus."

Vivi smiles. "Of course you did."

Karmen looks at the remaining papers in her hand with a thoughtful expression. "You guys have a communications room in the palace, right?"

-Somewhere far beneath the Grand Line-

 _Bedo-bedo-bedo-bedo_

 _Bedo-bedo-bedo-bedo_

 _-Hello? This is L-_

 _-Dr. Spots!_

 _-(groan) Oh. It's you._

 _-So I've decided we need code names. You never know who's listening in on these things. We'll be Ghost and Demon._

 _D: Mistress, isn't mine a little obvious?_

 _G: That's the point. People can easily identify you this way, dearie._

 _-Well if we're doing code names I want to be called-_

 _G: Yours has already been decided, DR. SPOTS._

 _Dr. S: And I don't get to pick my own because?_

 _G: Because I can't imagine calling you anything else._

 _Dr. S: -Sigh- Whatever._

 _D: He sounds like Camilla._

 _G: I'm sure Dr. S is a lot more mature than her… in some areas… at least in strategizing…. I hope… He can fight better than her._

 _D: She can't fight at all as far as we know._

 _G: She's getting trained while we're away. I'm sure she's improved. What should we make her code name?_

 _Dr. S: Did you just call to insult me or is there a point to all this?_

 _G: Oh, right. I just wanted you to know that we're all recovered. Demon even has his mojo back. We've had some flight training and we'll be dive bombing our enemies in no time._

 _Dr. S: -Glances at a calendar on the wall. (The news had come sooner than expected. The secretary-ya does impressive work.)- Of course he is. I'm the one who fixed him._

 _D: Thank you for your excellent work, Sir L-, I mean, Dr. Spots._

 _G: How's the hunting? Do you have enough yet?_

 _Dr. S: It's only been a few months. It takes a while to track these people down._

 _G: Really? We already have our first twenty targets picked out. We're starting that this week, by the way._

 _Dr. S: And any news on that relative of yours?_

 _G: I spoke with some people who were all too willing to give me information after a few prods with my quills. I'll send you the reports by ray as soon as I finish transcribing your copy. They'll be arriving within the week._

 _Dr. S: Should I even ask how you know where to find me?_

 _G: Oh, Dr. Spots. I've had a team reporting back on your location ever since we left you. Please treat my aquatic friends nicely should you catch sight of them. Though, I find it hard to believe you haven't noticed. We're partners in this, dearie. The least we can do is be vaguely honest with each other._

 _Dr. S: Fine. Honestly speaking, they're really hard to give the slip, even with my devil fruit powers. They're almost as annoying as you two. They keep poking their noses against the windows and distracting my crew._

 _D: They must be bored then. Maybe you should get Granny to switch out the teams._

 _G: You don't get them at all. They like you, Dr. Spots. Otherwise they'd keep a distasteful distance. You should surface and play with them some time. It's a lot of fun._

 _Dr. S: I'm not going to play with your pets._

 _G: -sigh- They'll be so disappointed. B will play with them, won't you, dearie? Taking a swim will be a nice change to being cooped up in that stuffy sub._

 _Dr. S: Leave my navigator and ship out of this._

 _B: I'll do my best, Ghost!_

 _G: It's been so long since I've seen you and the crew. How are you?_

 _Dr. S: This isn't a social call! Is there anything else you have to report before I hang up on you?_

 _B: Captain! I feel jilted!_

 _G: Nothing at the moment. I'll let you know how things go on our end. Be sure to call or send a response by the usual method to let me know what you make of those files. You know, once they get there._

 _Dr. S: You do realize messages in bottles are supposed to drift out to sea and not get delivered on the fish express, right? There is no "usual" to your method. Anyway, I'll get around to responding eventually._

 _G: You're the best. Bye B-_

 _Dr. S: Goodbye, Ghost._

 _-click-_

 _G: He actually hung up on me._

 _D: I'm sure he's very busy and didn't mean anything by it._

 _V: Sooo… Who's Dr. Spots?_

* * *

Though Karmen senses Vivi enter the medical wing she doesn't look up from her microscope. She instinctively lowers the heat on one of the poisons she's distilling to keep from damaging the components she needs. It was a tricky mixture and she needs it to be perfect if she's going to use it in battle without killing anyone.

"The banquet is going to start in two hours," the princess says as she approaches. "I thought you might want to get ready for it together."

"I'll go in this," she says, still not looking up. Karmen is currently wearing shorts, a tank top, and sandals with her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail.

"But Terracotta has all these kameez and salwars and jalabiyas for you to try on," she says. "She's been picking them out all day. She even made sure not to use any silk."

Karmen sighs and turns the flame off, finally pulling back from the microscope. "Vivi, please tell Terracotta that I appreciate her efforts, but I'd like to pick out my own clothing. I've spent too much of my life being treated as a doll."

Vivi nods and gives an understanding smile. "Then come try on clothes with me," she says. She grabs Karmen by the hand and drags her gently from her stool. The secretary sighs but doesn't resist. They end up on the other side of the palace in an interior room with no windows and heavy doors. The walls are covered in mosaics depicting the history of Alabasta and fresco paintings of the local religions. The room smells of just enough incense to mask the smell of the silk in the room. She wonders if that was Pierce's suggestion. Terracotta is there, making last minute adjustments to robes that appear to belong to Cobra. "We're going to browse."

"That's fine, Vivi," she responds. "Your father's lost some weight recently with all the reconstruction and I'm busy taking in his clothing. Tonight will be good for his appetite."

Despite Karmen's earlier comments, she gives Terracotta a warm smile. "Thank you for taking the time to pick out clothing for me."

She points to a rolling rack filled with dresses and accessories. "They're over there, sweetie. If you'd like something different just let me know."

"I'm sure something over there will suit me. Thanks again."

Vivi continues pulling Karmen behind a dressing screen before dragging the rack to them. "I haven't been to a banquette since your crew was here last time," she says excitedly. "This is going to be so much fun."

Karmen shakes her head. "If you expect me to put chopsticks in my nose and dance on the table with a basket you'll be sorely disappointed."

Vivi giggles. "Actually," she says, pulling a book out of her pocket, "I was hoping you'd do this with me." She flips it open to a marked page near the middle and holds it out for her to observe. The page depicts women dressed in belly dancing outfits with diagrams indicating the rotation of the hips, torso, wrists, and the rhythmic stomping all through it. "It's a traditional dance," she continues. "It's done by the women here before a battle." She closes the book and holds it to her lips. "I thought it might bring you some extra luck."

Karmen's chest fills with a warm sensation. Vivi is worried about her, that much is certain, and she's trying to be supportive in the best way she knows how without dampening the mood. "I'll dance with you, but I'm not going to dress like that," she says, lifting the fabric of her tank top a foot and pointing to her still purple bullet wound scar. "I may be proud of this but it's still not the most attractive thing in the world."

Vivi leans down and inspects the scar. Its small purple jagged edges create a glaring contrast to Karmen's otherwise smooth skin and its color draws the eye. "It's not that noticeable," she says. "But if you aren't comfortable showing it then there's plenty of other outfits here." She turns to the rack and begins picking through the clothing. "Dad doesn't like showing his either."

Karmen remembers how they had said he'd been crucified on the palace doors. Now when he shook her hand or embraced her, his grip is slightly weaker than she remembers it being. When she shook his hand as a child, when they'd met in passing during a Riviere, his grip had been firm but gentle. Now it's only gentle. Then again, that could be the difference of sensation between being a child and a grown adult. Still, his age is becoming apparent in the spreading gray along his temples and the stress of the civil war still clung to him like a cloak when he thought no one was looking. "I have to admit, I get a little jealous of you some days," she says. "I know you and your kingdom still have your struggles, but this is a paradise compared to what I grew up with. You get to see your father every day and the people who were trying to kill you are behind bars."

Vivi's hands still on the fabric. "You could stay here, you know. We could hide you. You'd be safe and you could experiment on desert poisons every day."

Karmen pinches Vivi's cheeks and gives her a stern look to dilute the horror that washes through her at her statement. "You're too kind for your own good. Do you know that?"

The princess smiles. "I'll leave the offer open, just in case."

Karmen shakes her head and turns to the clothing. Maybe it would be nice to pretend, for one night at least, that doing so would be anything but a disaster.

Vivi pulls out a heavily jewel-encrusted green jalabiya with sheer sleeves that trailed all the way to the hem of the skirt. The embroidery depicts flowers and birds and sea cats in a myriad of yellow thread. The dress draws in slightly at the waist to emphasize the hips and shoulders. "What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"

She gives an approving nod. "It would compliment you."

"You aren't going to wear it?"

Karmen shakes her head. "What would I do with all those jewels other than sell them on the black market?" she says with a wink to let Vivi know she's teasing. "No, I think something more like this will suit me just fine." She draws out a long-sleeved blue salwar suit dress from the rack. It has a vest-cut to the torso that trails down to a split down the center of the skirt, revealing a decorative green underskirt. The torso, sleeves, and the bottom of the skirt are heavily embroidered with flowers without a jewel in sight.

"You're right. That one does suit you better." Vivi begins pulling off her shirt. "Let's get dressed and pick out jewelry and shoes."

Karmen groans and turns away to give her some privacy. "You mean you're going to force me to accessorize too?" This receives a giggle.

Vivi is completely changed before Karmen even pulls off her tank top. "Are these scars too?" She feels the princess's fingers tracing lines between her ribs. She notices how still Karmen had become and pulls her finger away. "Sorry."

Karmen shakes her head. "Kudra, the sea king stingray that protects our island, broke a few of my ribs a few months back. It may still be a little discolored. I don't really pay much attention until it hurts to swim."

"If you have broken ribs then shouldn't you wait a while before going on your missions?"

She shrugs. "If I rescued Pierce with broken ribs then I can rescue slaves. It's not like you can do anything except wait for them to heal. I don't plan on having the slaves wait and die while I recover."

Vivi lowers her chin. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Karmen raps her knuckles on the other woman's head. "Don't apologize for expressing concern," she says. "If you didn't, I'd start to worry that you'd gotten sick or something." She shrugs out of her shorts and puts on the dress, removing her ponytail holder in the process.

Despite her standing there, dazzling in her own dress, Vivi can't help but marvel at the design of Karmen's. "You look amazing!" she exclaims, dragging Karmen to a mirror. "I know you don't want to be reminded of your ex-family, but you do look like nobility."

Karmen observes herself in the mirror. Her curls drape over one shoulder. The skirt begins just above her hip bones and the v-neck of the bodice emphasizes her squared shoulders. The dress hugs her curves without making them a focal point. There is enough drapery to hide her weapons in the folds and make her feel comfortable. It does give her an air of power and wealth that is a faint glimmer of the life she once knew, but the simplicity in comparison to Vivi's gives her a humble contrast. She takes a few seconds to imagine how the skirt could be twisted and tied into battle-ready pants should the need arise. "It's a nice dress."

Vivi drags her to a table ladened with necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, and other jewelry. She picks up a string of heavy gems that is obviously supposed to be draped over the head. She begins to move it towards Karmen, but the secretary backs away. "Oh no. That one will look better on you." The princess purses her lips but drapes it over her own head and pairs it with matching earrings that hang down to her shoulders.

Karmen gives a teasing scoff. "It's a banquette, not a wedding."

"Too much?" Vivi asks, inspecting herself in the mirror.

"If you want to wear it, then wear it," she responds with a shrug. "I've worn enough pieces like that for one lifetime."

Vivi sets down the other jewelry she'd been looking at and turns to Karmen. "I know you have bad memories associated with fancy clothes, but they don't all have to be that way. You should still let yourself dress up. You're allowed to let yourself feel pretty."

Karmen grins at her. "Vivi, dear, I don't need jewels to feel pretty. Being pretty is what got me into trouble for all those years. I am very aware of how I look. Not decorating those aspects of myself is my choice, one that I happily make."

She is given a smile in return. Vivi holds up a plain gold head chain with a single emerald that hangs over the forehead. "Simple, then."

"Oh, that's much better." Karmen drapes the chain over her hair and centers the gem. It's just heavy enough that it won't slide around when they dance later. She inspects the other elements there. Her eyes fall on cuffs covered in small bells. She gives them a test jingle and admires the gentle chimes they give off. "And I'll wear these on my ankles."

The princess cocks her head. "I thought you liked to move quietly."

Her thumbs trace across the metal. "Pierce used to love watching me dance. These will let him follow it, even if he can't see it."

Vivi's eyes soften on her. "You're a very thoughtful person," she says. "When your island is filled with hurting people, they will look to that side of you during their healing process."

"Your people have more favorable qualities to look to," comes the response. "But thank you for thinking so."

Vivi continues to comment on what good leadership qualities Karmen has but may not recognize as they cover their arms in glass bangles and select cloth slippers. They apply some light makeup, make one more final check in the mirror, and head down. The men are already in the banquet hall.

"Finally!" Pierce says. "I'm starving. I know you don't think much about food but some of us have been training all day."

Igaram smacks him across the back of his head. "If you could see them right now you wouldn't be concerned with food," he says quietly. He returns his gaze to them and gives a big smile. "You both look extravagant."

"You forget that I saw her dressed up like a princess almost every day growing up," he responds, rubbing the back of his head. "The bells are a nice touch, though. I don't have to do a height check to know which one you are."

Pell rolls his eyes but smiles. "Don't mind him. He got one over on Chaka this morning and he's feeling full of himself." Pierce elbows him but grins widely.

"Vivi's wearing the bells," Karmen says, enjoying seeing him being so friendly with them. She wonders how much he had to drink while waiting for them to arrive to make him let down his usual rigid demeanor.

"You forget I can hear your heartbeat," he says, giving her an eyeless wink. "I know when you're lying."

"Just testing."

"Anyways, you're always pretty. I don't have to have eyes to know that," he says. He shrugs. "Even if you weren't, I just have to worry about how you smell." He'd definitely been drinking. Chaka makes a swigging motion with his hand to confirm this fact.

The women take their places at the table and the food is brought out. They dine on fine delicacies as musicians play. Karmen poisons everything set in front of her, tending to favor spider venom tonight. Out of the corner of her eye, she makes sure Pierce is eating plenty of protein and drinking water to balance out his training and intoxication. Vivi elbows her gently. "Relax. We won't get to do this for a long time."

"You're right," she says, scooping more fruit salad onto her plate. "A night like this should be enjoyed." Despite the amount of food brought out, she keeps her portions light, mind on the book Vivi had shown her. Chaka and Pell talk about the improvements Pierce had made this week and he responds by telling them exactly how he'll be using his training to lay out overseers. Cobra talks about how he and Kohza had been working together to rebuild towns that had taken the brunt of Crocodile's attacks. Terracotta and Igaram discuss the preparations they're already having to make for the Riviere coming up in two years, where leaders and nobles across the world meet. They ask about the details of the missions she and Pierce plan on carrying out but Karmen tells them that the less they know the better. This doesn't seem to satisfy them, but they don't ask any more about it. After the meal, Karmen and Vivi move to the open space at the edge of the room and kneel on the floor. Knowing this beginning, the musicians start a new song that emphasizes the flute and the drum. Karmen synchronizes with the princess so that their movements remain together and precisely on the beat.

"Oh," Cobra exclaims, understanding spreading across his face as the music begins. "The Dance of the Desert Guardians." Though he seems deeply humbled by the cultural relevance of the dance he almost seems sad as he watches them rising from their positions on the floor.

They start off with small stomps that jingle the bells on Karmen's ankles. Slowly, they begin to add in reaching motions with their hands that move their entire bodies in a sideways rocking. They reach in the opposite direction and rotate their shoulders in small circles, then their torsos, and work the roll down to their hips. It stays there, on their right side, moving their hips in circles timed with the drums, slowly speeding into a shimmy. As their hips shake their stomping grows more pronounced and they begin moving in slow circles, working their torsos and wrists, making symbolic hand gestures as they go. Karmen recognizes the falcon, jackal, scorpion, and the snake. They circle each other and continue the dance with their backs close together. At one point she can feel the fabric of Vivi's dress against her back. Shaking, shimmying, rotating. They add kicks and dips. Their hips never stop moving.

Through the motion, their bodies tell the story of how the jackal and falcon formed an alliance to save desert dwellers from invaders. Their hips are the desert, their shoulders the sky, and their torsos are the harmonious union between them. Invaders had come from the sea and, while the revered sea cat did what he could to destroy the ships, he was only one being and could do nothing to protect the country once they reached land. The invaders were seasoned warriors, pillaging and burning as far as their feet could carry them. They drank wells dry and slaughtered innocents. Many fierce warriors opposed them, but all fell short. In this day and age, the dugong had yet to learn kung fu. The mouse was too weak and meek to do more than cause a momentary distraction before fleeing back into its hole. The serpent fought well during the day but the cold nights left them nearly defenseless. The scorpion chose to remain underground during the day and often found the land surrounding their homes already combed through when they awoke. The camels were forced to carry the plunder across the desert. It was the fighting prowess and steadfast loyalty of the jackal and the fierce speed and aerodynamic carnage of the falcon that had driven them back to the sea. They worked as a team, dividing and disposing of the invaders until their numbers were few and their forces weak. After the final surrender, the invaders left Alabasta and never returned. In honor of their valiant efforts the jackal and falcon were named guardians and have forever since held a seat of honor.

When the dance finishes both women are drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Their chests heave but they smile. Karmen allows these last few happy moments with everyone to sink into her memory. She wants to protect them too, them and all that they love, and that causes a great weight of sadness to settle in the pit of her stomach.

Until Doflamingo and the Gallowcombs are dealt with, she and Pierce can never return.


	64. Chapter 64: Results

**A.N.** : I'll be honest. I've been in a major writing slump. I haven't been writing the two-year gap and only have a partial chapter written to follow this one up and it's taken me two months to write that. I was hoping the commissions would help bring me out of it but you all didn't seem as excited about it as I was, and that's ok. I have a few short pieces that I can use as filler if I need to, but I was hoping to save most of those because they contain spoilers.

The next month should go as scheduled, but I'm not sure about afterwards. If things aren't better by then, I may just have to update as I have new chapters ready. I'll keep you all updated.

Again, thank you for reading and your patience.

* * *

Hours after the farewell banquet is concluded, Karmen and Pierce make their way up to the secluded rooftop with armfuls of candles which they set in a circle. Karmen lights them while Pierce sets a stool on the warm tile. When they have enough light she pulls out a quill and a bottle of ink. "Are you ready?" she asks softly.

Pierce shrugs out of his sleeves and lets his robes fall open down to his waist. "Are you?" he asks. "I had to drag you away from the medical ward again. Did you even remember before I came to get you?"

Her cheeks flush slightly. "I remembered you wanted the tattoo," she says. "I might have forgotten what day it was."

"How could you forget? We just came from the going away party. We spent all day shopping and interrogating Doflamingo's men."

"That's the part that distracted me."

"What are you even working on?" he asks after sighing. "Surely you've made antidotes to everything by now."

"I'm modifying my toxins," she says, settling down on the stool. He sits in front of her on the tile, facing away, and pulls his ponytail over his shoulder so it will be out of her way. "I've been studying Sherryl's venom and the time delay quality. One of the doctors let her bite him so that I could study how it affects the body. They'd all seen the slide tests proving the antidote works but he was still pretty nervous. It's amazing really. The venom builds up in certain vital points of the body, attaching to cells and tissue in all the organs. Obviously, I didn't let him wait the full twelve hours before giving him the antidote, but according to the slides it causes the cells to rupture like a time bomb. Boom, exploded. If I can figure out what does it then I can use it in other things and combat would be so much easier." Her fingertips trace lightly across the area that she would be working in before cleaning it, causing him to shiver slightly.

"And you can tell all this with your haki?" he asks. She draws a palm-sized circle in the center of his back, using a little bit of haki to make sure she makes it symmetrical. She draws four smaller circles that curve around the top of this in the shape of a perfect paw print. "How strong has it gotten?"

"Well, I've started watching my microscope slides with it when I'm working so I use high quantities of it for several hours a day," she says. "If I tried I could probably find a specific person on the edge of the city from here."

He shifts to cock his ear towards her, making her pull the quill back so she doesn't accidentally stab ink into where it's not supposed to go. "Doesn't that ever give you a headache?"

"No more than your sensitive hearing does for you," she says. "At least I chose when to use mine." She pushes his shoulder until he's squared up to her again. "Now hold still so this doesn't turn into the Sun Pirate symbol. It's not going to tickle."

She takes up a clean cloth and makes the first few pricks with her quill. Pierce remains silent and still and Karmen concentrates too hard for conversation. The stars spiral around them as the hours pass and the candles burn low when they finish. She wipes the excess ink and blood away and flexes her cramping hand. "How does it look?" he asks as she coats it with an antibacterial ointment.

"Like Kuma shot an ink-covered mouse into your back." She reaches around his torso and wraps the area with gauze.

He rolls his shoulders and neck. "It kind of feels that way." Despite still looking stiff, he has a smile on his face. "Thank you, Karmen."

"Anything for you, dear." She leans forward and rests her forehead between his shoulder blades like he does when he's on her back. "We have to leave tomorrow."

"Are you going to be alright?" he asks softly. "I can't help but notice that you've been happier here."

"Alabasta is peaceful," she says. "It's safe and inviting and it's been amazing being here."

"But?"

"I can't endanger them further. This morning was too close of a call. They've already been through too much. It's safer for them if no one knew they helped us."

He leans his head back until it's resting on top of hers. "Ok."

Karmen packs slowly the next morning, aided by Vishtunalli. In the room next to hers she can sense Pierce doing the same. He has considerably less than her despite being given several sets of Alabastian robes. He still has the last skin of Dr. Saaresto's special protein mix for the trip back through the desert. She fixes Tuna to her luggage and makes sure her bed is made. She knows they'll change the sheets as soon as they're gone, but she doesn't want to leave the room a mess. She'd even stolen some cleaning supplies last night and stayed up a few extra hours to dispense of every ounce of dirt. She wouldn't say she was nervous to leave, exactly, but she'd enjoyed being in Alabasta again and she would miss everyone. At least she knows where they are.

Karmen pushes the thought from her mind. She'd see the crew in two years. It was almost the six-month mark already. She'd take care of business and meet everyone again when the time comes. She can't get nostalgic now. Instead, she sets her bags in the hallway between their doors as Vivi had instructed the night before, complete with the spear she'd picked out a week ago. She waits there for Pierce. He steps out, inhaling deeply. "I know I could barely go outside during the day, but I think I'm going to miss this place, just a little bit."

"You'll miss the people, not the climate," she translates for him.

"Same for you, I suppose?"

"I can write," she says. "And they're only a few days away. We can always come back and visit." Despite her words, they both know they're a lie. Even if they had a few free days between missions, Doflamingo would notice reports stopping. He might even send someone to investigate. It's safer for everyone involved for them not to return until he'd been dealt with. She can't defeat him alone and Pierce couldn't either. Law has his heart set on it, but she doubts a victory could be achieved when he was so blinded by fury. For the same reason, she doesn't want her bodyguard anywhere near his rose-colored gaze. Pierce may be coming to terms with what they did to him, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't lose all composure if they came face to face. At his current rate of progress, he would die and Karmen would be given a choice to join or do the same. She gazes at the painted history on the walls of the palace. This place is too pure to let him get his string toting fingers on it. They owed it to Vivi and the others to stay far away. "Come on," she says. "They're waiting."

They make their way down to the throne room. Cobra is seated, looking more regal than any king Karmen had ever laid eyes on. Vivi stands in a cotton dress more extravagant than Karmen ever wants to wear again, adorned with royal jewels that make her glitter in the light flooding through the floor to ceiling windows. Pell and Chaka stand on one side and Igaram on the other.

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Chaka asks. "There's a lot more training we could give you."

Pierce squares his shoulders. "You have given me far more than I could ask for," he says. "I will remember all of your techniques and continue to improve from home."

Vivi takes a step forward. "Is there anything else we can do for you before you go?"

Karmen takes a humbling breath. Thinking of the people back on the island she smoothly drops to her knees and bows before them. "I would like to request a handkerchief made from Alabastian silk," she says.

Pierce balks. "But you hate silk."

Her hands curl into fists. "I do," she says. "It's for Winston."

Cobra reaches into the folds of his robes and pulls out a square of tightly woven fabric depicting a falcon, a jackal, and a cobra surrounded by flowers and decorative shapes. The colors are vivid gold, silver, teal, blue, purple, and red. He stands and walks the four feet to her. "Rise, Karmen." She lifts from the waist until she's sitting on her knees. He extends a hand to her and she takes it, allowing him to help her to her feet. He keeps her hand and turns it over, placing the handkerchief in it. Just the touch of the fabric against her skin causes a wave of nausea to run through her but her hand tightens around it. "I wish I could give you far more than this," he says. "Remember that you are welcome here, always."

This time she doesn't hold back. She closes the space between them in milliseconds and throws her arms around his neck. There is a moment of surprise and he wraps his arms around her back. "Your hospitality and friendship have given me more than you can ever know," she whispers into his ear. Pierce, who is the only person who is able to hear it, smiles. "Thank you for everything."

He holds her tightly and, for a brief moment, she wonders if this is what it's like to be held by a father. She barely keeps it together when he pulls away but by the time she hugs Vivi her eyes are glossy. "Don't you dare get caught," she says. She wants to say "don't do anything dangerous" but knows better.

Karmen laughs. "They won't catch a soul."

"Don't let them catch a pirate either."

"If they do I'll set their food on fire until they can't stand to keep me."

Vivi scowls. "You'd be thrown overboard and they won't realize their mistake until it was too late."

Karmen holds her finger in front of her mouth and winks.

Too soon all their things are loaded onto ducks. Pierce groans at the already stifling heat, but he climbs into the saddle and puts up his wings to block the sun. Karmen gives Pell and Chaka one last hug before getting on her own. The doctors all wave from the window, thanking her for sharing her knowledge of antidotes. Vishtunalli dances on Karmen's things with Sherryl biting his head, turning him a speckled red. The soldiers bow to them as the ducks depart side by side and Karmen can't seem to stop waving until the palace gates close behind them. Before they pass through town, Pierce reaches his hand out to her and she takes it, fading as soon as they make contact. They'd agreed on the roof the night before that it would be safer not to be seen leaving the city. "At least we won't be bombarded by the navy this time."

"And that was with that smoking guy who's obsessed with your captain?" Pierce asks.

"Captains Smoker and Hina," she confirms. "If it hadn't been for Bon Kurei we would have never gotten away."

"And he's the Baroque Work's agent swan guy who became a turncoat to earn your captain's friendship?" he asks. "What ever happened to that guy?"

"He escaped Impel Down only to be caught again when he helped Luffy in Marineford. Supposedly he's back in Impel Down, but reports say he's disappeared," she says. "I always thought him and Woodrow would get along well."

"Winston's older brother… sister? The one who likes to run around in fishnets with Emporio Ivankov?"

"You say that like you don't remember them." She lets a small giggle escape her lips. In truth, she'd only met Uncle Ivan twice as a child, but a person like that left an impression. Pierce had spent nearly every day at the same camp as Ivankov in the two years that he trained with Kuma. It might explain why Pierce always hated being winked at.

"Kuma brought Woodrow along when he wanted to talk to you alone. You were perfectly fine having tea time and I was running for my life. I'd rather forget my time spent with them." He glowers and shuffles his wings.

"They always brought lovely dresses," she says, feigning innocence.

"Yeah. They looked great on you. Me, not so much." He shifts again. "I can barely wear these Alabastian robes without having flashbacks. I'll take a nice pair of pants any day."

"Godwin got a good kick out of it," Karmen says nostalgically. "He always enjoyed having his father around, even if he couldn't express it in front of the Gallowcombs. And your fighting skills always improved when they came."

"Fighting to stay out of fishnets is not my idea of training."

"No, but it was extremely funny to watch from the rooftop."

Pierce sighs. "Always happy to be a source of amusement, Mistress."

She laughs again. "Come on. Let's get home so we can find out if Camilla is improving at all."

Days later, when Karmen's head breaks through the ocean entrance of the Batoidea cave system she's surprised that no one is there to greet them. The rays had created a ruckus upon their arrival, breaching and splashing down. Even Kudra had made a small tidal wave against the cliffs. According to her haki, they're far below the island, probably the training room, where they aren't able to hear what's happening on the surface. She makes a mental note to set lookouts once they get more people. She could walk down and surprise attack them if she wanted.

She unties Pierce from her shoulders and waist and sets his hibernating form in the corner while she strips off their diving gear. She takes five minutes to unload the rays before picking up the spear and hooking Pierce back onto her shoulders. She carries him down to the kitchen and sets a barrel of fish jerky next to him for when he wakes. She drapes a blanket over his shoulders before heading down the tunnel with the spear at full fade.

Sure enough, Winston and Camilla are training. Saaresto sips tea on a picnic blanket near the wall. She joins him and pours herself tea into her cup with the red feather painted on it, dosing it generously with flower toxins. She leans the spear against the wall and watches as Camilla picks herself up off the floor, rubbing her bruising arm.

The girl launches herself at the tailor in an angry torrent of sloppy punches. Winston's flat palm meets her fist each time before he uses his leg to sweep her ankles, sending her flat on her back. She kicks at his knees and he leaps back, giving her a chance to roll back into a crouch. She pushes forward, aiming disorganized kicks at his midriff. He takes two steps back before catching her ankle and shoving her way. She lands on her back again several feet from him, gasping.

"Is this what it's been like the entire time we've been gone?" Karmen asks as she unfades. Everyone jumps and Camilla simply stares at the ceiling, not bothering to get up.

"We haven't gotten to the part where Camilla starts cussing with her hands yet," Saaresto says when he's recovered. "She gets quite animated."

Winston towels sweat from his face and neck. "Welcome back, Karmen. How was Alabasta?"

"Beneficial," she says. "Pierce made excellent progress as have I. Camilla?" The girl throws her hands up and lets them fall to the ground. Unable to meet her eye, she rolls away and faces the wall. "I see." Karmen sets her cup aside and stands. She picks up the spear and steps around the girl until she can see her face. "Up." Camilla sits up and Karmen pulls her to her feet. She bounces the weapon a couple times like a stuffed animal. "I brought you something."

-A spear?- she asks. -How am I supposed to sign while holding that?-

"You're not," Karmen responds.

-Is this supposed to be insulting?- Her cheeks are still slightly flushed from Karmen seeing her fail at combat and it came through in her tone. Karmen doesn't actually mind, but she puts on an air of insulted indifference.

"If you don't want it I'll send it back to Alabasta." She goes to turn towards the tunnels when Camilla lunges forward and places a firm hand on the shaft, preventing Karmen from taking another step.

"I'll take it," she says. Her dark cheeks flush hotter in the blue light. "Thank you for thinking of me." Karmen gives her a satisfied smile. "Um. How do I use it?"

"They turned you into an exotic dancer, right?" Karmen asks, knowing the statement could go down one of two ways. "So dance. Use it against them."

"You expect me to fight with dancing?" she asks.

Karmen shrugs. "It's what I do." She glances over her shoulder towards the tailor. "I'll demonstrate."

She sweeps her foot around with pointed toes to face Winston before bowing deeply. He bows back and they both bend their knees to begin sparring. He opens with a kick towards her head. She dips herself under it, extending her own leg up and catching his throat with her ankle. She uses the momentum to swing herself up and around his body until she's offset his balance and has thrown him backward on his face. He coughs heavily in the dirt before standing and rubbing his throat. "Ok. That was a good one," he says. "It still isn't a frontal attack, though."

The tips of Karmen's ears turn the slightest shade of pink. "No. I don't suppose it was." She faces him again, taking rumba steps forward and follows the beat in her head to dodge three punches. She catches his wrist on the fourth and spins, taking his arm with her, forcing him to his knees by levering his arm straight out behind him. She places her foot between his shoulders to encourage him to stay there. "And that wasn't either," she says. "But it's still effective. I could stab your kidneys from here."

He lets out a strained grunt. "Point taken." He taps the cave floor with two fingers. She releases him and helps him to his feet. "I brought you something too, by the way," she says, eyes flicking towards the floor. She reaches into her sleeve and pulls out the handkerchief wrapped in protective plastic.

He takes it from her and removes it from the baggie. "Silk," he says with an air of disbelief.

"This is a gift from King Nefeltari Cobra himself. I'll allow you to keep it on those grounds."

He gives her a knowing smile. "Apology accepted."

She returns the expression. "That being said, that is the only scrap of silk I will allow on this island. Ever. Anything else will go up in flames like that stupid bolt you tried to hide."

"Understood," he says. He folds the handkerchief carefully and places it in his breast pocket. "I will cherish it."

She looks over at the doctor. "You've got a new medicine grinder upstairs. I couldn't fit it in my sleeve." Karmen holds her hand out to Camilla inquiringly, returning to the previous subject. "What do you think? Can you make it work?"

Camilla tests her hand placement on the spear, settling for the middle of the shaft where the weight feels natural. She swings it in a slow arc, then spins it across her shoulders to the other arm. She twirls it around her back before returning it to her hand and tracing a circle with the point in front of her. "I've done fan dances before and it's not that different from a baton." She stabs the point into the dirt and swings around the end of the shaft, legs arcing in graceful motions as she flips herself upwards until she's standing on two fingers from the top. She brings her right foot down, bending backward until her toes touched her fingers and she's able to stand upright. "I could probably figure something out." She leaps off it and catches the end. Her legs stick together as she swings around and plants the balls of her feet in Winston's chest. He stumbles back, winded but not off balanced.

"You might be onto something with that," he says. "That's the first hit she's landed on me."

Karmen nods her approval. "Keep practicing with it and we'll see where it gets you. Let me know if you prefer anything else. I wouldn't mind having a small armory eventually." A sudden pain runs through her and she grimaces, placing a hand on her stomach. "Could I talk one of you into fixing a hot meal?"

Back up in the dining hall, they find Pierce halfway through his barrel of jerky. "Morning," he says around a mouthful. "Thanks for the snack." He'd found the time to slip down to his room for a change of dry clothes and now sat there in just a pair of green pants and the blanket. "I carried our stuff up and he didn't seem to want to be left alone." He points a thumb over to the corner to a plant while reaching back into the barrel.

"Right, introductions." Karmen steps over to where the Venus flytrap sits, blending in with the dark brown of the stone walls, with the desert strawberry spider sitting on his head. He turns green again when she gets close and seems to smile at everyone. "This is Vishtunalli, or Tuna. As you can see he's special. I sent a few of his species back a few days ago so you may already know what they're like." The others nod as Karmen scoops the arachnid up and places it in her hair. "This little beauty is Sherryl. She's very deadly so hands off. Sherryl, no crawling into the fruit bowl." The spider climbs onto her forehead, drops a line of silk, and dangles down to her nose.

Camilla takes a step back. -You can keep her.- When she's done signing she wipes her hands on her clothes like the very idea of having a spider around makes her skin crawl. Sherryl seems satisfies by this and climbs back up into Karmen's hair, gathering her silk on the way.

By the time she's given the plant and spider introductions to everyone else, Pierce has finished his fish. He stretches, pulls off the blanket, and gets up from his chair. He grabs Winston's arm and drags him towards a side tunnel. "I have something to discuss with you."

They watch them disappear and Saaresto cracks his knuckles. "I guess that means I'm cooking." He steps into the kitchen.

Camilla points after the other two. "Was Pierce hurt while you were gone?" When the blanket fell away, his taped on bandage had been visible.

She shakes her head. "I gave him a tattoo. Do you know how hard it is finding a waterproof seal that's skin friendly?" she asks. "I'm telling you it's hard to find something that lasts several days under deep water pressure on this end of the Grand Line."

"So he just slept the whole way back? Didn't that make things boring?"

Karmen shrugs. "He can't help it. Besides, I had Parvati and Raja."

"What did you eat?" she asks after Karmen's stomach gives a hungry gurgle.

"Raja caught us fish. A little sashimi goes a long way." Camilla steps into the pantry and pulls out the bread basket, holding it out to Karmen. She gratefully takes a few rolls and sits at the table to eat. She finds trace amounts of fish jerky in the bottom of the discarded barrel and tosses it to Tuna. He catches it deftly, but instead of eating, he drops it in the soil beneath him. His roots stretch up and pull it beneath the surface. "Hrmp," Karmen comments. "He's never done that before. Must be tired of fish." She tosses him part of a roll instead and he takes it, turning a baked brown color. "How are the gardens coming?" she asks.

"I planted everything you sent," Camilla responds. "We should have the first vegetables you planted ready for harvest in a few weeks. By the time those are depleted what I've planted should be ready." She points to Tuna. "Those things seem to prefer the cliffs to the gardens." She shuffles slightly. "I know I talk to the plants a lot but I'm not used to having them respond to what I say." She locks her fingers together. "It's kind of nice."

Karmen smiles and gets up. "Come show me what you did with the plants."

Camilla leads the way towards the surface until they are standing in front of the locked gate. "It's your garden. You should unlock it," she says.

Karmen turns her key in the lock but steps back without opening it. "You're not a servant here, Camilla," she says. "This garden is as much yours as it is mine."

Camilla tucks her chin to hide a pleased smile and pulls the gate open. They step through and Karmen can see the freshly pressed earth around deadbolt vines that have been set against the cave walls to give them something to climb as they grow. Plucharon plants are set close to the spring in full sunlight. Sunblade is set with the poisonous flowers nearby with ample space between each plant. A snowberry bush is set in the shade. One Venus flytrap is in a crag in the wall halfway between the ground and the break in the rock above. All the plants look happy and healthy, taking to the new soil with few setbacks. Camilla doesn't go into long, detailed explanations about how the plants arrived by ray in their little pods and how she read the carefully written instructions to know how to handle and plant them. The little tags are still tied to some of the plants for her to memorize. There are large areas that are still waiting to be filled with poisonous plants.

Karmen leans down next to some of the flowers and shrubs. "I wish Chopper was here," she says. "He'd be able to tell me what these were."

Camilla points to the flower closest to her foot. "That one is loosely related to the orchid family, I think," she says. "This one seems to be some kind of poppy and that one might be related to nightshade. I've never seen plants like them. You said most things on that island were extinct?"

Karmen nods. "The only people who might know what these actually are probably work in a museum or library. Either that or they try to bring them back in a lab." The thought doesn't sit well in her stomach and she frowns. "Anyway, I think we have the creative liberty of coming up with our own names for them. Want to help?"

Her dark eyes sparkle. "Definitely."

She stands and waves her towards the gate. "You've done an excellent job here. I'm glad I have someone to trust with something so important. You may not be ready to go on a mission for a while, but I truly appreciate what you do here. If you continue your training I'll be proud to fight beside you."

Camilla freezes. "You aren't taking me with you this time?" She'd expected it, but finally hearing it constricts her chest and creates a burning lump in her throat.

Karmen lowers her chin but doesn't turn around. "I do not make this decision lightly, Camilla. Pierce and I leave tomorrow. You can't perform a full fade and your fighting is sloppy at best. You have a lot of rage inside you, which I can understand, truly I do, but if you can't compartmentalize it you will get yourself killed. I'm not ready to risk that. Not with you. Not now." The weight of her own words sits heavily on her chest, but her face remains unwavering. She thinks of Luffy and those rare moments when he was serious, when he had to make the tough decisions even though they weren't easy. "I know this isn't easy to hear, and I apologize for that. I'll bring you along when you're ready. I promise."

Camilla doesn't say anything. She gives a curt nod, signs a –Whatever-, and walks out of the garden.

Karmen makes no move to stop her. When she senses that she isn't going to wait for her in the tunnel she sighs and glances up to the Venus flytrap on the wall. "Keep her company for me?"

She goes down to find that Camilla has not come to the dining hall. She sits at the table and closes her eyes and focuses her haki, finding the girl in her bedroom below. She doesn't seem angry like she'd expected. Instead, she looks like an abandoned puppy, which makes this all harder. She wonders if she ever gave Kuma a look like that and if his heart shattered each time. She wishes she had a glass of wine. Not to drink, of course, but to wave under her nose to solidify an emotionless mask. Except that's not a quality of a good leader. It's good to compartmentalize fear and panic, but pure emotionlessness when confronting people who have been psychologically traumatized isn't healthy for anyone. She hates practicing her leader face on Camilla, but if she asked she knows the girl would be all too willing to beta test everything for her.

She's almost relieved when Pierce and Winston return. That is, until she sees what's on Pierce's face. He has a dark gray sea king leather visor that lays flat across his forehead, latches behind his head, and curves down into a point over his nose. "What do you think?" he asks.

Karmen glances at Winston who shrugs and holds out a hand as if to say "he asked for it, I just made it."

"It makes you look like a bird instead of a bat," Karmen says. "Let me see."

He pulls it off his head without unlatching it and tosses it to her. While she looks at it he sits next to her and Winston across from them. Karmen turns the visor over in her hands. It has two layers to it with a small space between. "What's this for?"

"I'm modifying interchangeable gas masks that will slide out of it," Winston explains. "I'll have a working prototype by the time you leave tomorrow."

"Is that the only reason you wanted this?" she asks. "A convenient gas mask?"

Pierce shifts in his seat. "I kept getting sand in my sockets in the desert," he says. "This will block debris and keep particles out of my face." She doesn't need haki to tell this is only a half-truth, but she'll talk to him about it later.

"It will also trap moisture," she says. "You'll have to use twice the fungicide on your eyes than normal."

His chin lowers slightly. "I don't mind so long as you don't mind making it for me. If it is an inconvenience I can come up with an alternative."

Karmen hands the visor back to him. "If you want to wear it then I have nothing against it. I'll keep you supplied." Further conversation is cut off by Saaresto exiting the kitchen with warm plates of chicken linguini smothered in parmesan. One has the equivalent of a whole chicken on it and is placed in front of Pierce. Karmen is practically drooling and takes a plate off his arm before it teeters over. She gives a quick word of thanks and digs in before Saaresto is even seated. The two of them are so hungry that all else is lost until their plates are clear. Karmen makes a point to finish at the same time as Pierce and manages to do it without getting sauce all over her face.

When they've put their dishes into the sink she hooks her arm through his. "I'm going to go have a little chat with Camilla. You wait for me topside." Without waiting for his response she fills a plate and carries it down to the girl's bedroom, finding the door closed. She knocks and leans forward to speak through the crack. "Can I come in?" Camilla simply nods, knowing Karmen can see her with her haki. She turns the knob and steps inside. The girl sits on her bed wearing her cloak with the hood pulled low, pillow hugged between her arms and resting on her crossed legs. She sits facing the desk against the far wall. Other than a couple potted lichens she's kept the room pretty bare so far and all her clothing is folded in a chest beneath her bed. The only furniture was made by Pierce and Winston and the only wall decoration is her new spear hanging in easy reach above her bed. "We missed you at dinner. I thought you might be hungry, so I brought food." Camilla just looks at the far corner of the room in response. "I'll just leave this here, then." she sets the plate on her desk and pulls the chair away. Reversing it before sitting, she leans her arms and chin against the back and looks at Camilla. She waits quietly, more to form her own words than to give her a chance to speak.

"Look, I'm not angry, if that's why you're down here. I get it," Camilla says in a quiet voice. "I know I suck at fighting and I'll just be a liability. You don't have to explain anything to me."

"I'm leaving you here because I'm scared."

This gets Camilla's attention. She looks up, shocked. "What?"

Karmen smiles and nods. "You saw me with Winston. My fighting style and weapons aren't designed to defend. Evasions and quick strikes are my only protection and that's why I suck at frontal attacks. It also means that I have to rely heavily on Pierce to do his job and guard my back. I almost lost him once and I've been separated from my crew. When I think about losing anyone else I get so scared I can barely move." She gives a small laugh and bites her lip. "Pierce would never let me go on my own because in his own way he'd lost me too." She tucks her chin slightly with the memory. "I saw it in his eyes that night. He'd been shot in the garden. He was bleeding and Ikaika had his gun trained on him, but he was happy. In his mind, he felt he was sacrificing himself so that I might live. It is the ultimate duty of any bodyguard." It's Karmen's turn to look away. "He lost a part of himself that day, and I'm not sure if he'll ever get it back. The two years we were apart changed him. He's still my best friend, but I can't stand to lose more.

"I know I have a few skills and talents, but I'm not superhuman," she says, giving Camilla a warm smile. "Pierce and I protect each other, and that works for us, but we can't be in two places at once. When I bring you along on a mission, I want to know that you can protect yourself because there may be a time when I can't. I really like you, Camilla. You're strong and capable and determined. In some ways, you remind me of myself. That's why I'm giving you this." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a blank sheet of paper. She tears a long strip off and holds it out to her. Camilla slowly unfolds herself and reaches out, taking it curiously. "It's my vivre card," Karmen explains. "We never know what's going to happen in a place owned by DavenGallow. Things could get really dangerous for us. If that starts to smolder and shrink, it means I'm about to die. If things get better for me, it will go back to its original state." Camilla finally meets her gaze, eyes wide. "If something happens to me, I'm trusting you to mount a rescue mission. Deal?"

Camilla clutches the strip to her chest, lips pressed into a tight line, and nods. "You'll be ok, though, right?" she asks. "You'll come back?"

Karmen's eyes soften on her in a gentle reassurance. "We're starting small, so things shouldn't get out of hand." She stands and returns the chair to the desk. "If we're good, then I need to go talk with Pierce."

Camilla jumps up before she can leave and wraps her arms tightly around Karmen's middle, hugging her from behind. "If you don't come back I'll hunt you down just to stab your corpse, got it?"

Karmen can't help but laugh in response. "Fine, fine. That sounds fair enough. Just make sure it looks like I got some cool battle wounds."

She leaves the room and slowly climbs the tunnels until she's outside, adjusting her mental state for the conversation she's about to have. As ordered, Pierce is waiting there for her, leaning against the rocks by the entrance. She doesn't break her stride, but hooks her arm around his and pulls him down the path. "Let's go check on my tree," she says. He doesn't protest and remains silent until they're standing on the highest cliff next to the little sapling that is actually starting to look like a tree instead of a bush. "Oh look at that. It's fine." Karmen thinks back to what she'd said to Camilla. He'd lost something two years ago. He'd let Ikaika steal something vital from him on the night he'd handed her off to Kuma. The anger she'd shown melds inside her with the sorrow from earlier. She turns to him and pulls the visor from where he'd tucked it into his belt. "This is about that girl in Alabasta, isn't it?" His chin lowers but he doesn't deny it. He has no hope for a brighter future. He wanted to cover his struggles and pain and hide it away inside himself. Deep down she knows. They could go on the mission and he could die to an opponent and as long as it was to protect her and her goals it wouldn't bother him in the slightest. That was his job. His duty assigned to him by the man who'd rescued him as a child. Once upon a time, he'd had bright eyes that burned with determination to make a difference in someone's life. Now, even if he still had eyes, she knows they would hold no fire. Two years ago Ikaika had stolen his hope for a future without pain and suffering. He'd go on the mission, but he did it solely for her. If she didn't exist, he would find a remote part of the world and live the rest of his days alone where no one could stare. Knowing this makes her angriest of all. "I told you I don't care how you look. I don't care that you don't have your eyes. I don't care if people are ignorant."

"But I do." His words are quiet but steady. He'd given this a lot of thought and had come to this decision. "There are going to be children tomorrow. I don't want to scare them."

"What are you talking about? Everyone's going to love you."

"Not everyone is as kind as you, Mistress," he says. "I will not allow what I lack to hinder your mission."

"We haven't even been on a mission yet!" she says. "You have no idea how they'll react! They're probably going to be more freaked out by me popping out of nowhere than your deep laughter lines." He doesn't respond. "Oh, so I can be scary but you can't? You're my bodyguard. You're supposed to frighten off jerks and punch stupid people in the face."

"Karmen, you know that's not why I-"

"I know exactly why you're doing it and it has nothing to do with safety around my weapons!" She turns and kicks a rock into the ocean before taking a calming breath. "Do what you want. Wear what you want. It's not going to change who you are or what I think of you. If covering what they did to you makes you more comfortable in your own skin then so be it."

"I've upset you. I'm sorry."

She shakes her head. "I'm just a little frustrated. I thought we were getting past this."

"We were," he says. "I am. I just need a little more time and it really sucks having kids scream at the sight of you." His voice grows tight. She watches him closely. If he was as far gone as she'd originally thought he wouldn't be this upset. Maybe there isn't a blaze inside him anymore, but perhaps an ember or two still sparked.

She sighs and leans her head against his shoulder, wanting all the hope she has for him to flood through their small point of contact. She'd burn bright enough for the both of them until he was ready. "Just keep being honest with me and you can have all the time you need." Her thumbs trace the hollow place between the visor flaps. She can't deny that it's handy, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. "And the convenient gas mask idea is actually really cool. It'll save a lot of antidote." She runs through their plans of departure in her head, counting air tanks, food, and lockpicks in her head. "Remind me to make sure Camilla doesn't try to sneak along."

"You benched her?" he asks. "I thought she'd puppy-dog eye you."

"She tried. I was so conflicted, but she's not ready. I just hope leaving a vivre card for her will be enough. I think she's afraid we'll end up like her sister. She knows these things will be dangerous and that one small move could be the difference between life and death."

Pierce squares his shoulders and puts an arm around hers. "Just be sure to let me take that risk." She wonders if he's listening to her heart as it skips a beat.


	65. Filler 1: Alternate Beginning

**A.N.1** : I wrote this for fun to see what it would be like to have Karmen meet the crew later into her development. I might write more like this in the future. Enjoy.

* * *

Usopp, Nami, and Zoro sit in a boat that's almost too small for comfort, especially when two crew members are glaring at the third.

"I don't understand why you tried to find Luffy in the boat," Usopp says again. They had promised to return it after only a few hours while Sanji restocked the _Merry._ It had long since passed that window.

Zoro scratches his mossy head. "He was standing right next to me and then he disappeared," he says. "I saw him flying over a roof. Since the town curves around the shore, I thought my best bet to catch up with him would be to take the boat that you guys were sleeping in, or at least you could have helped me look."

"So all you had to do to find Luffy was row parallel to the shore," Nami says, eye twitching menacingly. "We can't even see the shore anymore! How are we supposed to look for Luffy in the open ocean?! And you," she rounds ferociously on Usopp, "were supposed to be keeping an eye on the boat while I rested from watch last night and instead you fell asleep!" Usopp shrinks back and gives a disarming smile. His futile efforts to placate her only result in a deepened glower.

"I did follow the shore," Zoro continues in response, the vein in his forehead pulsing. "But the island disappeared. It must be a mystery island."

Usopp's eyebrow twitches alongside Nami's. "I think there might be another explanation for that."

"I still can't believe you got us this lost!" Nami growls, baring her teeth and clenching her fists. Usopp thinks he might be able to see the blood pumping behind her eyes.

"I'm sure we can figure things out," Zoro says. He lies back and crosses his hands behind his head. His breathing slows and within seconds he's asleep.

"Don't think that you can sleep your way out of this!" Usopp yells. When Zoro doesn't wake, he and Nami give a defeated sigh. "Well, the solution is obvious, Nami," he continues in a much more decided and calm tone. He casts a fishing line into the ocean, bobber breaking the surface tension with a soft _ploop_. "I leave our rescue in your capable hands." Despite the fact that Nami now wants to kill both of them, she has to agree. She'd have to charge them, that much is obvious. She counts the berries in her head as she tries to figure out where Zoro had managed to strand them. How much would it be? 10k apiece? 50k? 100k? Thinking of their empty wallets pacified the rage inside her and filled her with sadistic glee. That is, until she remembered they didn't have any money of their own. Oh well. They'd figure out how to pay her back one way or the other.

Two hours pass as Nami watches the currents, checks the sun's position and the direction of the wind, and glares at the swordsman when he snores loudly. The sun beats down on them relentlessly, sapping their energy and will to stay angry. So when Usopp's line snags something large and fast and the boat lurches beneath them, they are all jolt to awareness. Whatever's on the line is big. The sniper struggles with the pole, bare arms straining against the pull. He braces his feet against the side of the boat and the catch drags the craft along at a nauseating pace. Usopp's foot slips. Fear widens his eyes. His footing is gone and there's nothing to keep him from plummeting into the water. The boat would probably run over him and bash him over the head. He would be knocked unconscious and sink into the depths. Zoro's grasps his waistband, jerking him to a halt mid-air, and hauls him back into the boat. Relief weakens his knees for only a second. Together they reel in the catch, splashing cold water into the boat as something sleek and black breaks the surface. The hook had caught in its back and now only its webbed feet still dangled in the water. The men blink at it. "A seal?"

"What kind of idiots are you?" Nami asks. "You caught a person!"

With a slightly closer observation, they realize she's right. The glistening black that they took for skin is actually the back of a skin-tight diving suit and black flippers. Even the diver's air tanks and mask are black. The line is caught on the diving apparatus between the two tanks where the person would have a hard time unhooking themselves. Dangling there like a mannequin, the person steadily spins around to reveal a steaming cup of tea in their hands. They spit out the respirator, showing still perfectly applied red lipstick, before they lift the teacup to their lips and take a sip. Nami observes how a bead of tea rests on top of her lower lip when the cup is lowered and figures there must be some sort of coating to waterproof the makeup. "So am I just going to hang here all day or are you going to get this off me?" she asks. Her voice is calm, almost bored. Flustered, the men draw her into the boat.

She removes her mask and cap. The woman is actually short, only coming to about 5'2", with dark brown hair that clings in damp ringlets to the sides of her face. She sits cross-legged and observes them over the rim of her cup as Usopp removes his tangled hook. "Sorry about that," he says as she reaches over the edge of the boat, dips two fingers into the water, and draws them in a circle. "I haven't caught a person since the mermaid three years ago. Ah, now there's a story. I was fishing in a lagoon on a-"

Nami hits him over the head. "Now's not the time for one of your lies!"

Usopp flinches away from her and bows to the newcomer. "I'm sorry for getting you caught on my fishing line."

"It's ok," she says, flicking water from her fingertips. "It happens more than you'd think."

"Do you dive a lot?" Zoro asks.

"I prefer it to traveling above water," she says. "The surface currents get so congested with ships in these waters."

"You're trying to get somewhere?" Nami asks hopefully.

"Yes," the woman says, taking a sip of her tea and not offering any other kind of explanation.

"Well in that case… How rude we've been. We pull you into our boat and forget to introduce ourselves. I'm Nami, the idiot that hooked you is Usopp, and that's Zoro."

Her expression doesn't change but she stills as her eyes fall on his three swords. "As in, Roranoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter?"

"I didn't give myself that name," he mutters in an exasperated tone. "I'm a pirate now. Nice to meet you."

The woman returns their polite bows. "I am Valentine W. Karmen," she says. "Sorry I wasn't the fish you were expecting."

Nami laces her fingers together and rests her folded hands cutely under her chin. "We're a little lost. I was wondering if you'd be kind enough to give us directions?" The others lean forward hopefully.

"I can't." She sips her tea as they fall to the deck in defeat. "But if you tell me where you're trying to get to I can help."

"If that wouldn't take up too much of your time," Nami says with an exhausted laugh.

Karmen stands, closes her eyes in concentration, and leans over the edge of the boat to slap the water three times. She sits back down and sips her tea. Silence follows.

Usopp gives a concerned smile. "How exactly does that help us?"

The woman holds up a finger. Wait. A few seconds later there is a watery rumble from beneath the boat. The churning water rocks the boat, causing the Straw Hats to grasp the edge of the dingy. Karmen doesn't move and instead focuses on not letting her drink get contaminated by salt water. A large, flat fish erupts from the water, arching over the boat and splashes down on the other side, spraying them all in seafoam as its long tail slithers under the surface after it. Karmen slips out of her flippers and walks to the prow and deftly tying a rope to the bowsprit. "Where to?"

"Beach Island, please," Nami says thankfully.

"That's only a few hours away," Karmen says.

"Hours?" Nami's eyebrow twitches in Zoro's direction.

"Don't worry, Parvati will get us there in a fraction of the time."

"How'd you get a pet stingray?" Usopp asks, leaning over the side to watch her dark form circle under the boat.

"Parvati isn't a pet," Karmen says. "She's my friend. We race together." The stingray surfaces in front of the craft. Her brown skin and dark wavelike markings glisten as water rolls off her back. Her back spines flex and the small white speckles on her back continue to glisten beneath beads of water. The ray is fit with a leather harness that wraps loosely around her fins in a way that doesn't restrict movement and has a small, flat saddle in the center of her back. Karmen climbs onto it, placing her feet on the flat swatch of leather, and ties the rope to the harness. When she climbs back into the boat the ray flaps her fins expectantly. "Beach Island, Par!"

The ray dips her nose into the water and oscillates her fins, instantly propelling them forward. By the instant burst of speed, it isn't hard to assume that Karmen had been riding her when she'd been caught. The crew watches her move in amazement at her prowess and speed and Karmen gives a prideful smirk.

"We have one other question," Zoro says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Usopp's eyes gleam, catching his drift. "Can we ride her?"

"Watch out for the spines on her back," she says with a knowing smile. "They're sharp."

Soon the men are sitting on the stingray's back and the women are sitting quite comfortably in the boat, zooming across the shallow waves. "Thanks for this," Nami says. "I hope we aren't making you late for anything."

"A little detour never hurt anyone," Karmen says. "My trip will take a few months anyway. I'm actually on my way to the Grand Line."

"Really?" Nami asks. "So are we, if we can get everyone in the same place."

"Forgive my saying," Karmen starts, eyeing their transportation, "but I hope you have a bigger boat. It's a dangerous place."

"We have a caravel," she says. "We initially stopped at a different island to stock up on food before entering the Grand Line, but we wanted to go shopping at Beach Island. Sanji, our cook, wasn't really interested in going after he heard we wouldn't be staying there to swim, so we borrowed this boat instead. I guess Usopp and I fell asleep and our Captain ran off. Zoro took the boat to look for him and we ended up stranded out here." She sighs. "I know it's an inconvenience, but I'm glad they hooked you when they did."

Karmen checks the gauges on her air tanks. "I was needing a refill anyway, so I'm happy to help."

They reach the island in about thirty minutes. "I lost him somewhere around here," Zoro calls back to them.

The girls turn their eyes to the island. Something is on fire and they see a man in a straw hat burst through a garden wall. "Hey! There you guys are!" He leaps into the boat and gives them a big grin. "Great timing! I thought I was going to get caught for sure!" It's then that they see navy men chasing the boat along the shoreline. "What a cool stingray. Does it poop?"

"This is your captain?" Karmen asks Nami.

She gives a tired but happy nod. "Yeah, that's him."

The navy starts shooting. "I'll handle this," Karmen says. She leaps up to the bow and pushes Usopp and Zoro back into the boat. She crouches just behind Parvati's eyes, taking tight hold of the reigns, and they move like one being, zipping through the water with the boat in tow in a serpentine motion that dodges most of the bullets. One buries itself in the wood of the hull, but no one is hurt. Soon the island is out of sight once again. She sighs and turns around to find Luffy leaning over the bow, grinning ear to ear with sparkling eyes. A little taken aback, all she can manage to say is, "Hi."

"That was so cool!" Luffy howls in her face. "You have to join my crew!"

She blinks and regains her composure. "That's very nice of you to offer, dear, but um… No." Karmen wraps the reigns around her hand. "I trust you all can find your way from here?" She takes a knife from her belt and severs the rope connecting the ray to the boat. They begin to pull away immediately.

"Wait!" He stretches his arm after her and grabs her air tanks. She feels the pull but doesn't let go of the harness causing him to fly out of the boat after her. If she's surprised by his devil fruit abilities it doesn't show as she attempts to shake him off. Thinking her rider is under attack, Parvati's tail sweeps up and bashes Luffy into the ocean, severing his connection to the apparatus. Karmen instantly turns the ray around and dives. The crew grips the edge of boat apprehensively, unsure if they should dive in and save their captain or wait. Zoro is about to toss his swords aside when a dark form erupts from the water in front of them. Karmen stands on Parvati's back holding Luffy by the collar of his vest. He spits water back into the ocean, still too weak to move.

"I'll trade you your captain for the rest of my things," she says. They make the exchange and Karmen turns to leave. She's just about to dive when Luffy's hand grabs her gear again, lifting her into the boat.

Kamren spits her aspirator out and sighs. "I'm Karmen, nice to meet you."

"I'm Luffy! I'm going to be king of the pirates!"

He sets her down in the boat and she pulls out another steaming cup of tea from seemingly nowhere. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Nope." He gives her another broad grin.

"You did say you were headed to the Grand Line," Usopp interjects. "We wouldn't mind if you traveled with us."

"You're practically kidnapping her," Nami mutters. Zoro just sits back and waits for her response.

Karmen sips her tea and considers it. "Fine, I'll travel with you, but I'm still not sure about joining any pirate crews." She hadn't been able to fill her air tanks and, truth be told, Parvati could use a break. She reaches her hand into the water, making a slicing motion before slapping the surface again. Parvati disappears.

"Aww. It's not coming?" Luffy moans.

A bag suddenly shoots from the water and lands in the boat. Karmen tosses her diving gear over the side. "I'm sending her home," she says. "If I'm traveling on a ship then there's no point in me dragging her along."

"But what if we get to the Grand Line and you decide that you don't want to travel with us anymore?" Nami asks.

"Then I catch a fish and ride it," Kamren says. "I'm a champion fishrider. I can tame almost anything."

"Do you eat the fish you ride?" Luffy asks.

Karmen's eye twitches. "If you ever threaten to eat one of my mounts I will stab you."

"I don't think he'll be able to make any promises," Usopp says with a sigh.

"So do you draw a lot of attention from the Navy?" she asks, casually relaxing back against the bulwark.

"We try not to," Nami says. "But…" Everyone's gaze falls to Luffy.

"I see."

"Will that be a problem?" Zoro asks. His eyes seem more perceptive than Karmen is comfortable with.

"I can go unnoticed if I choose," Karmen says. "So long as fishermen keep their hooks to themselves."

Usopp, Nami, and Zoro grin along with Luffy. "Then welcome aboard."

* * *

 **A.N.2** : I know this is a lot of non-story content below this point, and it may hit close to home for some of you, but if you want to know why I won't be writing for a while, keep reading.

Before I get into this know three things:

I am fine.

I am safe.

I need some time to decompress.

KeturahDaine once asked me what I enjoy most about being a fic writer, whether it was the reviews, visitors, or the views. At the time, I think I told her all of it, saying I liked seeing a wide difference between views for a day and the visitors. I like seeing the blue bars on the activity chart climb throughout the day. I liked the numbers and I love seeing the new reviews roll in with each new chapter. Now, looking at it all, I think I enjoy the responses and feedback most. That's why I always appreciate KeturahDaine, WyseInk, and SoulAuron and the rest of you who give reviews and messages about the latest chapters and speculate on where the story is going. You make writing fulfilling and having that continued communication really motivates me. I'm passionate about this story and I enjoy sharing and discussing it. Because your feedback is important to me, I want to remain open and tell you what's going on with me. I want to keep writing for you, but in order to do that, I need to get my head on straight.

For most of my life I suffered from severe depression with anxiety. It wasn't until about five years ago when I couldn't fight it alone anymore, that I sought help. With medication and therapy I recovered, but it took three years. This is only the second year out of my entire life that I have been depression free and sometimes it's still hard to remain healthy. For the most part, while I've been writing this story I've maintained a healthy mentality and have been happy.

Recently I stumbled across a band and their songs triggered some dark memories. I've been slammed with emotions I haven't felt in years and find myself crying without cause. I'll be better one day and feel on the verge of needing to go back on medication the next. Between family and work, I can't schedule the time to myself that I need as an introvert. I've felt compressed and agitated all the time and I couldn't get anything done without dealing with some personal things first.

Lately everything I've watched, read, and listened to suggest that I need to take a step back and reevaluate myself and my motives. Overall, I need to get myself back into a healthy mindset. I can't do that if I feel like I'm working towards a deadline, even one of my own making. Karmen's story is complex and heavy in a way that I can't focus on while I feel under pressure.

I've decided that I'm going to wait to post the next official chapter because it starts off the rescue missions and I don't want to mess with the momentum of that arc. Some of you may feel like I'm letting you down, but I know the majority of you will understand.

Again, I'm fine.

In simply making this decision and being honest with my home support group I felt a lot of stress lifted and I am doing much better, but it hasn't been enough for me to make a full recovery. I want to give you the best of my productivity. Unfortunately, that means I need a break. I need some time to myself so I can write you the quality chapters you deserve. You are all amazing, wonderful people and I want to give you something worth reading.

I hope to be back soon.

~KnightNGale020


	66. Chapter 65: Willow in Splinters, Part 1

**A.N.: Hello everyone!**

 **First of all, I would like to thank all of you for being patient while I focused on my health. I've taken my long rest, spent a week on the beach, and feel comfortable posting again. I haven't felt any symptoms of depression for several weeks now and am hopeful that the episode I experienced will not repeat itself any time soon.**

 **Secondly, I may have fudged my posting schedule a little. I'd been wanting to slip in a little information about what happened to Willow and Geraldo between the time of the banquette at Baldwin's manor and the time Pierce was rescued. They contain some information that I felt would be out of place later on and yet didn't fall within the normal constructs of Karmen's story. I finally got to writing out these chapters and they ended up being really long (10-15k each), so I've broken them up into little units that I will post before I post the first mission chapter. Willow in Splinters ended up being four chapters and Rise of the Moth-Moth Man became five.**

 **There are several chapters that these two units mention so if you'd like to refresh your memory they are 28, 31, 32, 39-44, and 49. Honestly, you only need a vague memory of the events in those chapters and I tried to include as much detail as possible, so you don't have to reread all of it unless you absolutely want to.**

 **I've also started slipping in a lot of foreshadowing, so keep your eyes peeled. I hope you all enjoy reading these chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them.**

* * *

"Gum Gum… Bazooka!"

The words ring through Willow's head along with a pounding headache caused by Baldwin's rocketing form slamming her into Ludovic. The Straw Hat boy had sent Karmen's husband-to-be flying into her and her brother. The momentum had sent them flying from the island like a bullet from her beloved pistols, pistols that are now at the bottom of the ocean, thanks to that fiery haired weather witch. Her ribs ache and she knows she'll be feeling that battle for several days to come.

Had they gone back to sea, then? Had Karmen once again turned her back on the family that raised her, in the lap of luxury, wanting for nothing, to live the life of a pirate?

Had Ikaika arrived with her hunters in time for the banquette, things would have been different. He'd insisted the government units and Baldwin's guards would be enough. The Warlords were otherwise occupied and Kuma hadn't even caught wind of this wedding. It was going to be so perfect this time. The bodyguard wasn't even there to mess things up. Ikaika had made sure of that. So how had it all gone so wrong?

She'd heard the crew's reputation, the barbarians. Enies Lobby had caused quite the stir. To hear that the first sighting of Karmen after nearly two years would be in a place like that was shocking to say the least. Willow had almost shot the messenger, who said it was possible that she'd been injured during the attack. The Warlord wouldn't be forgiving if the girl was hurt or killed. If it happened when Karmen was on her own, would it still fall under their agreement? If even one of the Warlords caught wind of her being harmed, it would be their heads, no matter what terms had been agreed to. It was why Willow had moved in so quickly to collect her. She'd been kind. She'd offered her a choice. Come willingly or watch her beloved crew and bodyguard die. With her, they could salvage the union between Baldwin's family and appease the Warlords by showing that she was safe. Even if Baldwin's stepmother didn't recognize him as a son, news of the failed wedding had been… unforgiving. Not only had his family been displeased, the Dragons in hers had been as well. That brat had put Willow and Ikaika in a difficult position. They had to move delicately to keep from being ostracized completely.

Willow would have liked to strangle that child for disappearing like she did the first time. Pistol whipping her bodyguard spy had been nearly as satisfying. Darling Ikaika had waited a month for her to return and collect the street rat, but had grown tired and moved back to Galaval. She couldn't say she was sad to see them go. He took Saaresto with him and kept Antwan, the team of bounty hunters, and her snipers. Kuma had killed half of them, deflecting their bullets back with his devil fruit powers. Geraldo's aim was almost as good as his predecessor's but not quite. Good help was so hard to find, and loyalty was more valuable than accuracy, and the kid had both. His loyalty was proven by his willingness to show his face after failing to apprehend her.

Still, he'd brought back the first substantial evidence of her whereabouts, carved into his skin. She'd actually grinned when she'd seen the letters marring his flesh. Maybe they had taught her a thing or two.

Following the magnetic lines between the last sighting to the Red Line afterward was easy, and luckily Willow had been visiting family in Mariejois at the time, so finding her again had been like Ménage à Trois Silk wine. She had her friend, Foiner Marina, send Baldwin an invitation to her annual gala (he'd never get in otherwise) so that he could help her keep an eye out. Her plan had worked immaculately. She'd even made a spectacle of herself, flaunting her hired muscle in front of everyone. Baldwin's information helped her narrow down Karmen's location. All it took to get her to come with them had been a flash of a photograph and a threat. She'd had the things from the first wedding neatly packed and ready to ship. Everything else was just a call or two away. They'd been so prepared for everything except security. The government's men were useless below CP level and Karmen had come almost too easily. Maybe she'd signaled her little friends somehow by spraying that mask with the perfume, a touch that Willow had found too sentimental for Karmen, unless she'd left a lover aboard. That would explain her aversion to marrying Baldwin. Maybe she knew the Straw Hats would come. Either that or she'd picked up a few tricks over her absence. The reports had mentioned poison. Karmen had left everything behind on the ship, but maybe there had been something up her sleeve other than that hideous X tattoo. The swollen faces of half the guests couldn't have been a coincidence. That ungrateful b-

Her thoughts are interrupted as she slams into a squishy, stinky mass that wraps around her. She gasps and flails, but only succeeds in swallowing salt water. She can hear splashing somewhere above her head, beyond the freezing water.

A firm hand plunges down towards her and roughly grasps her arm and she's yanked to the surface. She feels the squelching, knobby surface shifting beneath her hands and knees, a little more solid than where she'd been a moment before. She vomits sea water and coughs until her lungs are clear and raw. She can feel it burning from her stomach to her throat, just behind her teeth. Her head is sore where she had hit it and it pulses persistently with her heartbeat. She looks up at Ludovic's disapproving sneer and matches it, discomfort adding extra edge. "What are you waiting for? Find me a towel."

The coldness in Ludovic's dark brown eyes suggests that he wishes he'd let her drown. "Find one yourself." His heavy northern accent adds to the weight of the cutting disdain in his voice. Willow scowls at the similarities in their tones, one of the many traits that mark them as siblings. It was bad enough growing up with him, he doesn't have to use that tone after she'd been thoroughly disgraced by barbarians. He was her elder brother. He had to suck it up and continue to hold his head with pride and familial duty. Being the little sister, she's allowed to sulk and expects to be pampered. His continual glare suggests that he does not intend to oblige.

Sneering once more at him, she decides to humor him and lifts her head to look around, blinking away the pain that builds behind her eyes from the glare of the sun. They're on a large clump of floating seaweed. It squishes with every move she makes and bobs in the deep ocean waves in a motion that makes her feel queasy. The seeds in the long leaves pop under their weight and every movement threatens to push through into the ocean. Every direction she looks, there is nothing but water, splashing against their raft and itself. The deep rolling waves suggest that they aren't even over a reef or anywhere near solid land. "Where are we?" she asks.

"Who knows." He slides his empty glass acid tank off his back and sits down beside her. "We have no food, no water, no shelter, and no transport."

She gives the ocean one more cursory glance, already disliking the glare of the sun reflecting off the rolling waves. "Where's the useless barbarian reject?"

Ludovic's head mimics hers. "I haven't seen him come up yet." His tone is indifferent. He wouldn't care if he never came back up. She can't say she would care to see him either. He'd been nothing but a nuisance. Because of this, both she and her brother are almost displeased when a flailing hand breaks the surface nearby. "Oh. There he is." Neither of them move to help the man and eventually Baldwin pulls himself onto the seaweed raft. He's too busy trying to breathe to realize that they'd been willing to watch him drown.

"Does anyone have any water?" he asks when he can stop coughing. Willow feels the folds of her dress. Winston had made it as a party piece to her specific design. A product sample pack, if you would. No matter which room she stepped into, he'd assured her and her guest's glasses would never be empty, even if the useless serving slaves were nowhere to be found. She would always have something on hand to sell her product and ease business men into signing loose contracts. She has six bottles of DavenGallow wine stashed in hidden pockets beneath her skirt. Her eyes scan over Ludovic, who is doing the same to her. He has the faint outline of his vodka skin against his back beneath his suit jacket. It had been their father's design and her brother had picked up his sense of fashion. There is a tube connected to a nozzle in his sleeve. It makes for convenient party tricks and an easy way to set someone on fire. Ludovic had never quite picked up their father's... habits, but he did like strong drinks when he filled a glass.

"I don't have any water," Willow states.

"Nor I," Ludovic says.

"At least we have food," Baldwin says after taking in their situation. The pointed toes of his polished leather shoes push meaningfully on the spongy substance beneath them. Water pours in where he presses and he quickly relieves pressure.

Willow lifts a slimy leaf to her nose and sniffs. It smells like brine, fish, and month-old grass clippings. It's stiff and fibrous and waxy in her hand, and not at all palatable. Her stomach turns in revulsion and she tosses it away harshly. "I am _not_ putting that in my mouth."

"If we find a way to an island we won't have to," Ludovic says.

Willow examines the water. The surface looks calm but she's had enough experience in the ocean to know what might be lurking just below the surface and how to use that to her advantage. She hasn't been riding in years, ever since she'd put on a few pounds, but her muscles still remember the technique. "With a little rope, I could harness a fish."

"Unless you brought rope you'll be out of luck," Ludovic responds. "Unless you know how to make it."

Willow's mind halts at the words. "You can… make rope?"

He nods. "I don't know how to do it myself," Ludovic says. "But sometimes sailors would weave it on the docks to pass the time." They both look at Baldwin, who's sagging shoulders make him look tired of both of them already.

"You could braid the seaweed into rope," he says.

"Braid?" More blank looks.

He stares at them, trying to keep his jaw from falling open. "You mean to tell me you never braided your daughter's hair when she was a child?"

Willow gives an indignant gasp. "Of course not!" She spits the words as if his statement was intended to offend. She turns away haughty. "What kind of low-class barbarian do you think I am? That's what servants are for."

"If you know how it's done, go ahead and do it," Ludovic says, making it obvious that he doesn't know how to either.

"I'm a politician, not a shiphand," Baldwin says in a voice gravely with his trademark temper.

"If you aren't going to work, then throw yourself into the ocean. Better yet, swim off and find me a fruit pastry," Willow retorts. "At least that way if you die we can be entertained before we die ourselves."

"I'm not your servant, woman," Baldwin growls.

"No, you're not," she snaps, his belligerence adding to the pounding in her head. "You aren't even a proper member of your own family. You're a government dog who will never do more than glimpse real power."

Baldwin's fist shoots towards Willow with his full power behind it. Her eyes widen, but Ludovic's hand catches the fist and stops it with a small shockwave that shakes their raft and sends ripples through the surrounding waters. He breathes heavily and his eyes burn red with veins around the edges. "If you _ever_ raise your hand against my little sister again, you will live to regret it." The empty acid tank behind him gleams in the sun as if to solidify his threat. The man doesn't have a reputation because he's lenient on his enemies.

Ludovic can feel the tremor that runs through the man as he pulls his fist free. He doesn't say anything, but turns away, sitting down on the seaweed. He picks up a few strands and holds them up for Willow to see. "I'll show you how to do it, but you have to make the rope on your own." He spliced the ends together and began weaving the strands in a complicated, six-fold braid. It's obvious he isn't very skilled at it, but he'd at least seen it done before. After a foot, he hands it off to her and she holds it limply. She tries to mimic his movements, but she ends up with a tangled mess. She looks up to Baldwin, but he's staring out at the ocean and doesn't look like he's willing to offer any more help. She looks to Ludovic, but he's pointedly ignoring her. She lowers her head and keeps working. Her fingers feel thick and stumpy, unused to these kinds of motions. She only ends up with a lumpy knot. She sets it aside, deciding throwing it at Baldwin's head wouldn't accomplish anything beneficial. Instead, she discreetly pulls out a bottle of wine. She chucks the knotted seaweed into the ocean with one hand while she pops the cork with the other, effectively masking the sound with a salty splash. When the men's eyes turn away from her back once more she tilts the bottle to her lips and takes a sip, continuing this process once every thirty seconds. When she'd had her fill she pushes the bottle halfway into the seaweed and covers it with her skirt.

She sits and stares into the ocean, watching the blob float slowly away until something as long as her arm eats it. Her stomach growls. She'd hardly eaten anything at the banquet and it had been at least twelve hours since then. She misses her dainty tea cakes and cucumber sandwiches and her trays of sweets and grapes and cheeses. "There has to be something to eat other than seaweed," she groans. Ludovic leans over the edge of their raft and watches little silver fish swim in and out of the casted shadow, watching them nibble at the leaves and seed pods. His face becomes thoughtful and he pulls the glass tank from where it sits at his side. He dips it into the water and becomes very still. "What are you doing?" she asks.

"Quiet," he whispers harshly. So she sits and watches him watch the half-submerged tank. Ocean fish, if not too bold for their own good, tend to be too trusting. She understands this and wonders if that's what her brother is banking on. After what feels like an hour, a fish swims into the mouth and he scoops it up. He sets the tank in the middle of the float triumphantly. The weight of the water and the glass cause it to sink several inches into the raft. The panicked fish swims in frantic circles, bumping its nose into the glass. When this doesn't work it settles into swimming circles around the edge. "Lunch." Ludovic reaches in, grabs it with little trouble, and pulls it out of the water. He uses his fingers to rip its stomach open and pulls out its guts, tossing them back into the tank. The fish is raised to his mouth and he takes a bite of the still twitching flesh.

Willow gags and vomits her wine into the ocean. She sits up, wiping her mouth. "I'm not eating that unless you find a way to cook it."

"Don't be such a princess," Ludovic says. "If you don't eat, you'll die."

"Or we could be rescued. I'm not eating fish straight from the ocean and I'm not eating seaweed," she states stubbornly. "Find me something else."

"Why don't you sing and call down birds to our location, sister darling? They'd be raw too, but it wouldn't be fish."

Her eyes narrow. "I swear I'm going to push you into the ocean when the next predator swims by."

Ludovic only chuckles and takes another bite of fish. When he's satisfied he tosses the remaining half to Baldwin. The man eats it without complaining, picking bones out of his teeth. When he's finished, he tosses the head and bare-bone body to Willow. She lets it fall and stares at it where it lands, nose curling in disgust. She enjoys sushi from time to time, but this is nothing close. This thing is barely fit for soup stock; at least, that's what she thinks she'd heard a chef say about a fish head once. She prefers giving food orders to servants to spending time getting all sweaty in a hot kitchen. She kicks the fish head into the ocean, deciding it doesn't matter so long as it's gone.

Within an hour she's bored again. The glaring sun is beginning to burn her skin. It reflects off the surface and beats on her from above, making her regret choosing the dress with the heart-shaped bodice. If they don't get out of here soon she's going to stew like a tomato and dry up like a raisin. She picks up strands of seaweed. How had Baldwin spliced the ends together? Turning her nose up at him even touching the stuff had made paying attention a little hard. She tries weaving and tying and braiding and ends up with something that looks like a bad fishing net. Still, it has a more uniform shape than her rope from earlier, so she keeps going. Eventually, she comes out with something roughly palm-leaf shaped. She holds it up with pride. "I made a hat!" She settles it over her head and immediately feels relief from the glaring death orb.

"It's hideous," Ludovic responds immediately. "Make me one."

"Make your own!" she hisses.

"Fine. Find your own food next time."

"I don't want your food! It's gross!"

"Would the two of you shut up already!" Baldwin roars at them. "You're giving me a headache! And take that limp dishrag off your head. You look like an idiot."

Willow turns away with a "herump." It's obvious that they're just jealous. She'd made something with her own two hands. What other Celestial Dragon would even be able to make that claim in a similar situation? She's proud of her hat and nothing they say can make her feel differently. Maybe when she gets home she'll make a new leaf-based fashion line. Something cool and shady to relax in the garden in. She misses her garden parties with the wine and tea, the sandwiches and cakes, the culture and high-born companies admiring her wealth and power and attire, and the servants to follow her every whim. How people lived without people at their beck and call is beyond her imagination. This is pure torture. She steals another swig from her wine and catches Ludovic sip some vodka out of the corner of her eye. They glance at each other and stash their drinks.

Night falls and they form lumpy, soggy pillows out of their raft. Willow waits for the others to fall asleep before stepping carefully to the edge of the raft and relieving herself. The men had merely stood to the call of nature earlier in the day, turned away, and released their bladders into the water. She finds this distasteful and crude, even if there is nowhere else to do it. Being the only woman around means that she doesn't have much ground to complain on, not that it hinders her in the slightest. When she's finished she cleans herself the best she can with seawater and seaweed, she lies back down, desiring the luxury of scented soaps and lotions, of silk bedding and mounds of down pillows. She can tell she's getting dehydrated. Her face feels tight, her lips are cracking, and her headache is worse. She stays awake, looking up at the taunting flicker of the stars and drinking wine slowly. Eventually, it takes hold of her and she begins to feel drowsy. She buries her bottle and rolls over to sleep.

The next day passes in much the same way. She tries her hand at weaving rope again, fails again, and refuses to eat the fish Ludovic catches and tries to trade for her lumpy failures. Hunger gnaws at her, but she refuses anything and everything they offer with an upturned nose. Everyone except Ludovic seems to be getting a sunburn. His darker skin seems to keep most of the UV rays at bay, and his enormous hair, despite being deflated from days without fresh product, seems to work as a hat all by itself, though his ears still show the faintest traces of rose. They argue. They talk about what they'll do when they reach land. As the day passes, Willow begins to feel weak and tired. When night falls, her words are beginning to be slurred by her thick tongue and her eyes feel grainy with salt. Her head pounds aggressively and she finds she can't argue and keep the pain at bay at the same time. Arguing takes too much energy. Eventually, she stops talking altogether, covering her face with her hat. Willow finishes the bottle of wine when the men go to sleep. She buries it completely under seaweed, relieves herself into the ocean, lies down, and goes to sleep. Unconsciousness envelops her like a quiet relief that she doesn't want to wake from.


	67. Chapter 67: Willow in Splinters, Part 2

**AN: Hello everyone! I was so excited to post this chapter I almost put it up early (which I know some of you wouldn't have minded one bit).**

 **I wanted to thank DancingRose22 for the wonderful review and themelancholiasettles for the follow and favorite. I couldn't PM either of you but I still wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my story. It means a lot to me.**

 **To keep you all updated, I've been getting an early start on my new job. I'll be the Library Media Specialist at an elementary school in my hometown by the time I post my next chapter. It will be my first year teaching and I'll be keeping my old job so my schedules going to be a little haywire. I don't expect it to get in the way of my writing and if it does (I may forego writing for sleep on some nights) I'll let you know. I'm super excited for this next chapter of my life and a little nervous because I don't know exactly what to expect but it'll be a lot of fun and I love learning new things. I've been spending most of my mornings organizing the shelves in my library and processing new books and filling out paperwork.**

 **I always think best with physical activity (I like to take long walks to process things) and all this has been no exception. I've had some major breakthroughs with future plot points and, even though it will be forever and a day before you all read any of it, I'm working hard to bring you crazy and exciting chapters and plot twists and I think you all will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Speaking of which, I had tons of fun writing and editing this segment. I wish I could write more Willow chapters, but sadly she hasn't come into play except in brief mention past this unit so far. We'll see if I have any more of those breakthroughs.**

 **Thank you all for reading and I'll tell you about my first days of being a school librarian in the next chapter.**

* * *

Willow wakes to someone touching her cracked lips and pinching at her burned cheeks. Her already irritated skin feels like someone had been slapping her at some point. She feels tired and sick and would much rather keep sleeping. She groans and bats their hands away. Feeling weak, she allows her heavy arm to flop back down onto the warm pallet. She doesn't have a blanket over her and her lounging chair is lumpy, damp, and uncomfortable. Her head aches far worse than it did before. Oh, if they'd just let her sleep it off. It would all go away if they would just let her sleep. "She seems to be coming around now," Ludovic's voice says from somewhere above her face, but it sounds muddled somehow. She tries to say something but little sound comes out. She feels like her mouth traveled to a desert overnight. She can still taste wine on her tongue, but it's dried into fruit leather on her taste buds and glass in her throat. She reaches a feeble hand up and pulls her hat down over her eyes.

"What did she say?"

Why is Baldwin still at their mansion? Or is she at his manor? Trying to remember exactly where she is makes her head spin. She starts to fall asleep again but the other person starts messing with her face again, roughly smacking her cheeks and shaking her. She wants to throw up on the person. It would serve them right, abusing a sick person like this. Only one person would have the audacity. Ludovic.

"She's asking for a servant to bring her an umbrella," her brother's accented voice cuts through the fog in her head with a painful stab of annoyance.

Baldwin's scoff comes through in wavering tones. "Don't you people do anything for yourselves?" Sound is coming in and out like the waves bobbing them up and down. Waves. Are they on a ship, then? She distantly remembers a ship, transporting her across the sea from the Red Line to... somewhere. Thinking takes too much effort. It's so hard to stay even remotely conscious.

"Eat this." Something warm and mushy is pressed to her lips. She wants to push it away, but the dampness feels good where her lips had begun to bleed and she can't quite remember how to use her arms properly. She allows the substance to pass into her mouth where it seeps moisture into her gums and throat. She manages to swallow. Her brother offers her more and she takes it readily. After a few bites her mouth moistens enough to taste it. It has a briny flavor and a thick but malleable texture that seems very familiar. She opens her eyes with great difficulty and sees Ludovic ferrying a chunk of raw fish and shredded seaweed towards her mouth. Her stomach lurches and she sits up quickly. The motion makes her head swim, and if it isn't for Ludovic's strong hand she would have toppled over. Her head is too heavy to lift and only her revulsion is keeping her awake. Her brother takes advantage of her momentary weakness and shoves the mash into her mouth. His fingers pinch her nose shut and his free hand wraps under her chin, pressing it forcefully closed. "Oh no you don't. You need the nutrients and fluids. You've lost enough water as it is." She throws up, but with her mouth held shut it has nowhere to go except back down. Ludovic feels her swallow and lets her go. She falls forward gagging and gasping. She manages to drag herself to the water and washes her mouth out with feeble motions. The ocean. A raft of stinking, lumpy, squelching seaweed. The memory of being stranded wash over her as a sudden churn of the water causes her to be splashed full on in the face. If piracy doesn't kill Karmen, she might try to strangle the child herself.

Willow is still too weak to pull herself away from the water, so Ludovic rolls her onto her back and lifts her shoulders away from the edge. Still feeling he has the advantage over her, he shoves another lump of mash into her mouth and gives her the same treatment as before. To her defense, she doesn't throw up this time. The first time had been bad enough.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she yells hoarsely when she's capable. Now her throat is raw from the glassy feeling and stomach acids combined.

"Look at that," Ludovic says, almost regretfully. "You're already feeling better."

"Uhg." Willow sticks her tongue out, trying to get out the lingering taste. She can't deny that having food in her stomach is negating the heavy sleep that had been pulling on her and she feels slightly more in control of her body than before, but she isn't going to give him the satisfaction. She feels unsteady and has to prop herself up on one arm, but anger gives her the energy to give her commentary. "That's disgusting."

"But you lived," Baldwin says in a tone that doesn't help her pounding head. "Stop complaining." She pulls her hat lower over her face. She may be awake but the sun's glare off the waves still seems unnaturally bright to her sensitive eyes.

"You seem to be having a rougher time of it than us," Ludovic muses. "Is it because you're a woman? Are you… losing more fluids than you do on normal weeks?"

"Me being a woman has nothing to do with it!" She takes her hat off and smacks him with it, almost falling over with the motion. She'd been drinking wine for two days straight. She should be more hydrated than this, yet hitting her brother seems to have taken all her energy. She sits with her pounding head between her knees and rests. Slowly, it alleviates until she can lift her head and watch the ocean again with a little less pain. Ludovic, satisfied that she's not about to die, moves back to his little plot of seaweed and fishes, using the guts of his previous catches as bait. She sees a two-foot fish carcass next to where he sits, picked clean of meat. Had he somehow managed to feed her an entire fish or had they split it among themselves? Despite her aversion to eating a fish with its face still attached, she has to admit that the meal had made her feel better. When Ludovic catches another she swallows her pride and mumbles something in his direction.

"What was that, Willie?" he asks, using the nickname that he knows she hates to tell her that he'd heard her, he just wants to rub it in her face.

She swallows angrily. It hurts to speak and she still doesn't feel well. He could show her a little consideration. "I said, can I have some fish?"

Ludovic tears the fish in half and drops the guts into the tank. They splash down with a sound that turns her stomach. "Make me a hat."

"Make your own darn hat!"

He bounces the fish in his hand. It seems like he's about to toss part of it to her, but at the last minute he throws the portion to Baldwin, who sneers up at her before taking a bite. "Then catch your own darn fish." He sets the tank with its spattering of fish guts in front of her and she blanches. "And if you lose my tank, I'll feed _you_ to a shark."

It isn't that she's entirely against making him a hat, but making her own had been an accident. She doesn't remember how she did it and her fingers still aren't responding like they should. She'd rather try her hand at fishing than admit she's incapable of doing something twice.

She glares at him but grabs the tank. It's so heavy she has to use two hands to hold it. She remembers only last week when he'd set his tank in her lap as a form of greeting in Mariejois. It had felt this heavy full of acid then as she'd shoved it off her and scowled at her brother. Maybe she's been sicker than she thought if her arms are this feeble. She knows that if she wants to prevent Ludovic from force feeding her in the future, she has to take matters into her own hands. She'd shoot him in the foot or something in retaliation after they get out of this mess and she can get a pistol. If she wants to survive, she's going to have to stop being picky. The thought of it alone is enough to make her consider death as the better alternative, but maybe trying it for a day wouldn't entirely be a bad thing. She'll get through this and not eat fish for a year.

She holds the tank sideways and lowers it into the water and immediately almost drops it. She recovers quickly, making sure Ludovic hadn't seen her hands slip, and she waits. She lets her fingers lock on the cold glass and allows her arms to dangle freely. Luckily it isn't long before a curious fish swims the mouth to investigate the possibility of food. When it's near the bottom pecking at the guts, Willow gently tilts the tank until it's upright and there's no chance of escape. The fish barely even notices the slosh of the water as it continues to eat.

She's struggling to pull the tank back onto the raft when a large hand reaches over her shoulder and lifts it for her. She looks up to find Ludovic looking into the tank and nodding his satisfaction. "A good catch. It will make you feel better." He cleans the fish for her, making sure to remove the head and tail and a majority of the bones, and hands her both halves. She doesn't say anything but begins to eat without complaint. It isn't as bad as she first imagined, especially when she's filled with pride at having caught her own meal. She isn't going to make a habit of it, but she can say that she'd done it at least once. She wraps a bit of seaweed around her next few bites and imagines she's eating riceless sushi in the shade of the topiaries in her gardens.

"Give me part of that fish," Baldwin demands.

"Willow caught the fish, so it is hers," Ludovic says, fixing him with a cold look. "I tire of fishing. If you are hungry, catch a fish yourself." He sets the tank near Baldwin. Willow can't help but give her brother an appreciative smile. She's happy to see the corners of his mouth twitch up in return.

Hours pass and her headache slowly dulls to a soft pulse. Her eyes don't feel so grainy and her lips seem to have at least stopped flaking where they stand. Fish scales pepper the corner of her mouth and her cheeks. Her cousin had once put fish scales on her lips for a party as a sparkling fashion statement. Willow wonders if she could use them to deflect the sun. If she burns much more she's going to crack. Her mouth feels somewhat lubricated, though it seems to be more from the fish than her own saliva.

When she's feeling well enough to be bored again, she tries her hand at making rope. She knots, weaves, braids, splices, and twists to no avail. Had anything come out looking like a hat, she would have offered it to Ludovic, but nothing she tries makes sun protection or rope. Still, it occupies her mind and gives her something to do, so she keeps going until Baldwin stops her. "You're going to waste the whole raft if you keep that up." She looks down and finds him to be right. She'd taken two feet off her side of the raft and had nothing to show for it. "We'll find another way to get out of this. We can't afford to waste food and shelter."

"Or you could just make it," she mutters at him.

"You've wasted enough already. If we made enough rope for a fish big enough for all of us to fit on, we won't have any raft left," he says. "At least this way we know we have a reliable food source for a while longer." She doesn't have enough energy to keep up an argument, so she lets it go.

Willow looks around, still seeing no signs of other life or rescue. She'd once heard someone say that the ocean is a desert. Now she understands what they meant. There isn't even a seabird in sight and nothing but endless water on the horizon. Her hair is tangled and crusted with salt. Her skin is dry and burned. Her clothing is smelly, soggy, and worn. She can't believe that she's already started getting used to living like this after only three days, how quickly she'd let down her barriers when it came to what she is and is not willing to do. It's enough to drive a classy woman to drink. She reaches into her skirt and pulls out her second bottle of wine. She pops the cork and takes a drink.

"You've had wine this whole time?" Baldwin roars.

"What's it to you?" she asks, letting the liquid soothe her mouth and throat. It fills her stomach, cheeks, and fingers with a sense of warmth that negates the freezing water that's leaking through the raft. The wine gives her the feeling of home out here on this godforsaken lump and she's not about to pass it off to a barbarian like him. "It's not water, and it's mine. Find your own." She raises the bottle to her lips again.

Baldwin lunges for it. Willow twists away at the same moment, causing him to barrel into her. Still being somewhat unsteady, she topples under his weight as he grapples for her drink. They both land roughly on the seaweed. The portion of raft sinks dangerously low and the wine flies from her hand. It lands in the water with a deafening sploosh as it breaks the surface tension. The bottle sinks immediately, leaving a trail of red in its wake that pools around the raft as it slowly disperses. "You idiot!" Willow screams as Ludovic throws Baldwin off her. "Now no one can drink it!"

"You might as well have been drinking seawater anyway," he growls back, wiping his scraped chin on his sleeve as the raft slowly raises back to surface level. "Alcohol dehydrates you. If you want to drink wine on the ocean you have to leave it sitting open long enough for the alcohol to evaporate."

"That would ruin it," she huffs, wringing her skirt out and discretely digging up the empty bottle from the day before.

"But it would make it drinkable and it could have saved our lives," Baldwin says. "You nobles are only ever thinking of yourselves. If you'd said you'd had it earlier we could have something to drink by now. It's no wonder everyone wants to kill your kind."

Willow brings the bottle into view and holds it upside down by the neck looking around for a place to smash it. A broken bottle wouldn't match her lost pistols, but a weapon is a weapon. Smashing it over his barbarian head would be satisfying at least. Baldwin catches the look in her eye and stands, fists ready to swing. Ludovic gives a guttural growl and gets ready to jump between them.

They're all ready to leap and rip out each other's throats when their seaweed raft lurches, causing them all to fall over.

"What was that?" Willow asks, clutching her bottle like a comfort blanket.

"I believe it was a fish," Ludovic says sarcastically.

"I meant what kind of fish!" she snaps at him. She so doesn't need this from him right now, but no, he always has to give her grief. Now's not the time to one-up siblings, so she tries to ignore him and logic out their situation instead. It isn't an easy feat, but living is a little higher on her priority list. While she enjoys being waited on hand and foot, she hadn't let pampering get in the way of her education (mother wouldn't allow it) and she still has a fair amount of common sense. "Obviously it's not a sea king. It would have swallowed us first and asked questions later."

"It's big, whatever it is," Baldwin says.

Nothing happens for a few long seconds. "Maybe it was just passing by," Ludovic says, hope tinging his voice.

The seaweed is hit again, causing it to skim several feet through the water. Willow chokes down a squeak of surprise and fear. "Is it trying to flip us or break the seaweed apart?" Baldwin asks, clinging to whatever he can. He only succeeds in ripping up handfuls of seaweed so he flattens himself like a starfish.

"Would both of you shut up before we find out?!" Willow hisses in a low tone. Her brain sorts through everything she knows about what draws a fish to prey. "If you don't jinx us all first, then it could be drawn to the sound of your voices."

They all flatten themselves on the seaweed and close their mouths. No one questions Willow's knowledge of fish and their willingness to eat people. Out of the three of them, she's the expert. The water is deathly still. Even the high rolling of the waves seem to have leveled out to a minimal bob. No one breathes. They wait.

A fin breaks the surface. It's long and segmented with grass green webbing in between boney spikes. The fin is followed by a long, sleek body. An eel. The ones around Valcour were known for being able to destroy a ship. She'd watched three tear a man apart as a child. Her mother had pushed the disgruntled commoner into the water and stood there laughing as he screamed into a gurgling silence. Barbarian humans aren't gods like Celestial Dragons, and therefore don't require pity. That's what mother had said. She looks over at Ludovic, who seems to be having the same memory. This one could swallow them whole if it got its teeth in them.

Its tail breaks through the surface and beats down against the edge of their raft, tearing loose a large portion of seaweed. It hangs, a few strands away from floating or sinking. Still, as the tail slithers under the water, it is clear that segment is useless to them now and their small perimeter of security has just shrunk by that much. They stay silent. They wait. Willow even makes a silent attempt at a prayer, demanding that whatever higher power that exists, not that she can think of anything above a Celestial Dragon, serve her and banish this hell-beast. When they see the grass green fin a few hundred meters out, moving farther still, they begin to relax.

"Where did it come from?" Willow asks.

"It's the ocean, sister darling," Ludovic says sardonically, feeling a little braver now that their attacker is far away. "It came from the water."

"You know what I meant!" she responds, nearly gnashing her teeth at him. "We'd been left completely undisturbed or hunted until just now!"

"Maybe it was thirsty," Baldwin jokes, waving his hand at the bottle still in hers. "It's gone now. That's what's important."

Thirsty? Thirsty. Thirsty. Valcour always had eels like that. They fed on the bodies of the slaves that they threw into the ocean. She looks down at the bottle. There aren't any dead bodies here, so what had attracted the beast? They'd been arguing for days, so her and Baldwin's scuffle shouldn't have done the trick. It doesn't make any sense. The wine was from Valcour, but it was just grapes and spices and balancing chemicals. She'd never heard of an alcoholic sea monster before. It doesn't make any sense.

She sits down. All this thinking and stress is giving her headache new life and she could use a drink. She sets the empty bottle aside and pulls a full one from beneath her skirt. Baldwin stares at her. "You have _more_?"

She rolls her eyes. "After the stunt you just pulled I'd rather sacrifice you to the eel, but if you be a good little barbarian I might be inclined to give you some." She uncorks it and raises it to her lips only to hesitate. "How long did you say it would take for this to do us some good?" While sacrificing Baldwin seemed the more enjoyable option, she couldn't help but notice he had a small collection of useful information. She could bribe him with a drink or two into being more willing to cooperate. Pawns are easy to come by, so long as you have leverage.

Willow set the bottle in a little divot in the center of the seaweed mass where there is less of a chance of it becoming contaminated by saltwater. The three of them sit in silence while they wait. They're all tired of each other, scared that the eel may come back, hungry, thirsty, and any more interaction might lead to more fighting. Every now and then they see a fin in the distance or a scaly, sleek body, but aren't otherwise disturbed. Ludovic tries fishing again, but the creature scared all the smaller fish away.

Willow, for lack of anything better to do, pulls the broken off clump of seaweed up onto the main mass and begins braiding a lumpy rope. When she has three feet of it, she holds it up and gives it a tug, expecting it to be pulled taut. Instead, it falls into three pieces and the bits left in her hands crumble back into stringy clumps of individual stalks. She lifts a leaf to her mouth and takes a bite out of it, chewing indignantly. It's gummy and salty and tastes like snotty brine. She wants to spit it out, but she knows she needs the calories and they might not have fish for a while now. The seaweed clings to her mouth in slimy retaliation.

Time passes. They deem the wine safe to drink, and the bottle is passed.

As the weather on the Grand Line goes, what they can expect is unpredictable and it makes it hard to differentiate between day and night at points. The sun is blazing some of the time, gone others, and occasionally it is blocked by clouds. It rains and they refill the empty bottles, making funnels out of seaweed while huddling together for warmth until the storms pass. For a while, they are glad to see the sun's return, but the glare of it quickly loses its welcome. They eat seaweed and drink what little water they can collect and, after a while, they don't even have the energy to fight, even when they feel relatively safe.


	68. Chapter 68: Willow in Splinters, Part 3

**A.N. and SPOILER WARNING:**

 **Hello everyone!**

 **As for the update on my personal life that I promised, I am SO BUSY and the semester hasn't even started yet. Meet the teacher night is tonight and I'm trying to make sure I have everything in my library presentable. If it wasn't for my mentor I'd be scrambling, but she's amazing and always has my back and I couldn't wish for anyone better. I'm getting up at 5 am every morning and am spending a lot more time outside my house than I'm used to, which is probably a good thing. All of this does take a lot out of me by 5 pm. I'm ready for bed by 9-10 pm and always seem to wake up before my alarm clock, so I'll never be late unless I hit the snooze one too many times. I have a lot of work to do and have three large books to read in the next few months on top of all my work. I'm loving it and I hope caffeine and new job pep will keep me going through the semester. I have the most amazing and supportive coworkers and have big things planned for my school. All the changes I'm making are a bit different from what my Principal is used to but we get along pretty well so far.**

 **Working two jobs it is cutting into my writing time just a little, but not my inspiration. As I expected, I've been brainstorming like crazy. With volume 87 of the manga being released in English, I was really able to add to what I have planned. I'm making myself giddy with all the prep and foreshadowing and I hope you'll all enjoy it too.**

 **I'd like to thank KeturahDaine for reminding me that I was posting soon and needed to slow down to edit. Thank you and welcome to the new follows and favorites and thank you all for the reviews. Sorry if individual shoutouts get put on the backburner for a while. Settling in is taking up a lot of my attention and I'm a bit scatterbrained at the moment.**

 **If you haven't read/watched the Dressrosa arc, you should. 1, because it's awesome, and 2, this chapter and several that follow contain spoilers. Doflamingo's involvement in the black market underground and his connections to Karmen and Pierce's pasts will be a common theme.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter as we get to know Willow a little more. I'd love to hear what you all make of her.**

* * *

After what feels like days of Willow, Ludovic, and Baldwin floating on a shrinking raft of seaweed, a speck appears on the distance that gradually grows larger. It looks darker than usual in the early gray of the pre-dawn light. "That blasted eel is coming back," Willow mutters, waving a limp hand in that direction. The men's eyes glance warily towards the horizon where she'd pointed. At this rate it would only be a matter of time before it dislodged enough seaweed to knock them into the water. It would be a quick meal from there. For some reason the creature is swimming on the surface in a straight line instead of the diving coils it had been doing for days. Slowly, they begin to suspect it may not be what they'd originally thought and push themselves into a sitting position.

"It's a boat!" Ludovic exclaims as they all manage to stand. They can see the distant flap of the canvas sails and the wave-carving wood of the prow. They can hear it creak and Willow can smell the distant scent of stew. It sends her stomach reeling with hunger pangs and she nearly doubles over in pain. The ship can't reach them fast enough. With its current path, it will pass right next to them. Surely they can signal for aid and finally be rescued from their floating hell, get a change of clothes, a warm bath, a hot meal. Willow longs for the comforts of a normal life so much it hurts. If it weren't for the eel being somewhere around, she would have dived in and swam to it.

It takes a full hour for the ship to pull up next to them. Willow finds herself flecking salt from her skirts and straightening her seaweed hat, trying to look as presentable as possible. Still, she knows she can't fix how terrible she looks or the smell of rotten fish and seaweed that clings to her like a second skin. At about five hundred feet away, the crew begins to draw up the sails and they drop the anchor. "Ho!" one of the men call in greeting. They assume this man is the captain. His manner of dress suggests self-importance, if the large shoulder tassels on his starched blue coat could attest to anything. "Who are you three and how have you come to be in such a predicament?"

"Who we are is of no consequence and we'd rather not say how we ended up out here," Ludovic states. "Just know that we've been out here for several days and we are in need of assistance." Willow stares at him. He should announce their titles proudly and these barbarian commoners should grovel for their miserable lives and feel honored simply to consider that Celestial Dragons boots should cross onto the deck of their ship. Ludovic's caution seems cowardice and idiotic to her. She's about to say something when a voice cuts her off.

"What kind of person doesn't introduce themselves to someone who might rescue them?" another man asks.

She takes this as her opportunity and steps forward. "I am Gallowcomb Antwanette Jenevive Willow of the Davenwell family of the Celestial Dragons," Willow announces proudly before anyone can stop her, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders to draw herself up to her full height. She's sure she doesn't look as impressive as her title declares, but these worms need to prostrate themselves at her feet and show the proper respect to their heritage. "I demand passage aboard your ship, a warm bath, food, and water."

Some of the passengers looked shocked and scared as she'd expected, but others, mainly the captain and officers and well-armed men aboard broke out into sneers and smiles. Relief washes through Willow. They're happy to see someone of their high standing. Excited, even. All the longing for pampering that she'd felt over the last few days come rushing back and she takes another step towards the ship. Ludovic puts a hand on her arm to halt her. She looks at him. His jaw is set and his eyes narrow a minuscule amount. He should be happy. He should be demanding to use a transponder snail. Why was he glancing at his empty acid tank? She'd never seen Ludovic like this and it confuses her.

"A Celestial Dragon, she says," one of them crones, elbowing the man next to him. "Wearing limp seaweed like a sunshade, of all things."

"Making demands from a stinking float of the stuff, no less," another chortles.

"I'd say this is a rare opportunity, don't you, Captain?" someone who might have been the first mate says.

"Aye," the man says with a nod. "I think there's only one honorable thing to do in a situation like this." The men look to him with hopeful eyes. "Sink them and rid the world of their disease." A mighty cheer raises from his crew. A few load cannons and aim them, not at the raft, but at _them_.

A cold chill of shock running through Willow and settles in her bones. How dare they.

Do those lowly humans even realize how grave of a crime they're suggesting?

The image of what had happened to the Donquixote family flashes through her mind. They'd tried to live on equal grounds with humans. They'd denied the fortune of their birth and stepped down from their divine status to be... dirt. Less than dirt. Utter filth to crawl upon the ground and toil and work and slave away to be... what? Human?

They'd been stripped of their Celestial Dragon title and gone into hiding. They'd been discovered by humans like these. Had this been their reception with commoners as well? Had this been what led to them being nailed to a wall, beaten and impaled, and left to die? Looking at these people, it doesn't look like they'll be given even that much of a chance.

The first cannon blast jars her out of her shock and the projectile is aimed straight at her head. She freezes, terror locking her legs and seizing her muscles. It's hard to even draw in a shakey breath. For the first time in her life, Willow believes that she's going to die.

Baldwin jumps in front of her, shocking Willow enough for her body to regain function. His fist jabs forward to meet the iron ball. She hears the bones in his knuckles crack as the cannonball shatters on impact. The shards fly in all directions, including towards her. She isn't fast enough to duck out of the way before one of the shards slices across her cheekbone with searing pain.

They'd cut her. They'd marred her face. Her beautiful face. It would leave an ugly scar. Scars are a disgrace. Scars are imperfections and Celestial Dragons can be nothing but perfection. Her mother had always said that to obtain a scar was to lower yourself to the standards of the barbarians. They showed weakness and the inability to rule effectively. She'd surrounded herself with guards and snipers and bounty hunters to prevent such an event, but out here on the open ocean she was alone, and now she'd been marred.

Would a scar cause her to be ostracized by the main family? Like the other World Nobles and the Elders, Willow had turned her head away when Doflamingo laid the head of his father at their feet, begging to be returned to the seat of a god in exchange for killing the deserter. How old had he been then? Nine? Ten? He'd been touched by the life of a commoner and they'd rejected him like one, ignored his pleas and disdained the desperation in his cries. It had driven him mad. Warlord status was the closest thing to divinity he could claim, but his rose-tinted gaze never left Mariejois. He'd always long for the family that rejected him.

Now Willow had been touched by commoner filth. It had sliced into her cheek and it aches dully against the pain in her chest. She would not let them take away her birthright.

The thoughts pour through her mind like searing metal and leave her filled with a burning rage that chills into a solid thought in her soul. They'll pay. They will know the wrath of a Davenwell.

Ludovic curses as Willow's hand rises to meet the warmth flowing down her cheek. It comes away red. Blood. She'd seen it everywhere they went, from the humans she'd shot, from the servants and slaves and businessmen she'd killed, but never her own. She didn't expect it to be red like theirs, but it is. How strange. Blood. It was all over the vineyards where their grapes are grown. It was in the soil and the water. It wouldn't be far of a stretch to imagine it had been soaked up into the grapes as well.

The grapes. The wine. The blood.

That's what attracted the predators to Valcour. That's what attracted the eel to their little float.

A dark smile thins Willow's lips as she picks up the shard of warm iron that had sliced her cheek. She holds it tightly to her palm and pulls hard with her other hand. Pain. Searing pain, followed by fast flowing blood, just like she'd wanted. She holds her hand out over the water, letting the blood drip down into the dark depths, and laughs her cruelest cackle. If they were going down, they wouldn't go alone.

Ludovic's eyes widen. "What are you-?"

A rumble cuts him off. A long, sleek form erupts from the water with a monstrous high-pitched roar. The eel. The creature looked down at Willow, eyes trained on the blood still dripping into the water. She lets some of it pool in her hand and flings it at the ship. The eel's eyes followed the droplets to where they splatter against the hull.

"I am Davenwell Antwanette Jenevive Willow of the Celestial Dragons. The eel is my family crest. Our totem. We devour those who stand in our way. We are gods among men. We will not be taken lightly."

It is as if she'd given the creature an order, unspoken but clear. The eel dives towards the deck, slathering jaws open, ravished, hungry. It consumes six of the crew right off the bat as it crashes through the wood, down through the levels, and through the hull below. Its mighty tail crashes down, splitting the ship in half. Debris and ruined supplies fly through the air as the screams slowly die out, one by one with each pass of the jaws through the wreckage.

Willow snatches a spool of rope from the air after the tail gives another destructive swing. She may not know how to weave a rope, but she knows how to tie a harness. Her hands move swiftly, artistically as she knots and weaves. Soon she has an adjustable fish harness.

Willow swallows. Karmen had always enjoyed a challenge, but she herself had always preferred something that submitted easily, something that couldn't give her a scar if things went wrong. Now, if something did go wrong, there may not be enough left to scar. Now there is no choice. If they want to reach land then she has to be fearless. Fearless like Karmen.

Try as she might to connect with her ward over the years, Willow had never fully understood her. Now, as she faces off with the giant eel as it swallows down the legs of one of the unfortunate sailors, she wonders if Karmen's stubbornness and quietly rebellious nature had come from her biological father, if her love for the ocean and all things wild and dangerous had come from her biological mother. It was hard to understand how people who had no hand in raising her could influence her so much. She'd never thought she'd end up wishing Karmen would grow up to be like her. It's hard for Willow to see anything other than a Celestial Dragon as a creature capable of emotion and worthy of consideration, but Karmen, who wasn't even a Dragon, had grown up loving fish riding. That much, she'd gotten from Willow.

She leaps while the eel is distracted, digging her heels in to gain traction on its rough scales, which is hard with her socks squelching and sliding in her boots. Only the knowledge of what will happen if she should fall keeps her upright and moving forward. She runs up its long back and dives for its head. She grips the sandpaper-like fringe of its dorsal fin with her knees as she throws the harness over the top jaw, miraculously managing to avoid cutting the rope on its sharp teeth. She quickly hooks the back of the harness over a couple dorsal spines to keep him from shaking it off. He tries, and Willow rides the bucking creature until it tires out, her already weak arms holding on with everything she has left.

The sun is low in the sky before Willow coaxes the eel over to the seaweed raft. "Get on."

"I'm not riding that thing," Baldwin declares, nursing his injured hand. "We just watched it devour an entire ship!"

"Meaning it has a full belly and now is our best chance to not be eaten ourselves," Ludovic says. He picks Baldwin up by the back of his shirt and sets him high on the eel's head. He climbs on himself and settles next to his sister. "Good work, Willow. I enjoyed watching them meet their end."

To her surprise, Willow realizes that she had found no joy in watching the crew be devoured. It had simply been. It had been the same with killing slaves and servants over the past few years. She was plenty capable of shooting someone and watching the life drain from their eyes without losing any sleep, but there had been no satisfaction from it. As Karmen had grown older, servants seemed to get out of deadly situations easier and poorly done work was drawn to her attention less and less. She still shot blatant troublemakers and disloyal cur, but she no longer sought out people to kill. She'd begun to find her husband's habit of taking slaves to the basement distasteful. She'd even been able to look at mothers and their children without wanting to put a bullet through them both.

She hadn't minded the idea of killing Karmen, so long as she was provided another child to rear. Someone to raise to inherit the empire she and Ikaika had built. Karmen's parentage had left them in a difficult position. They could leave nothing to her and if she were told the truth on her eighteenth birthday, as the agreement entailed, and she returned to her father and the Warlords and told them everything she'd seen growing up, if she'd learned any of the Dragon's secrets… No laws could keep heads from rolling. They had hoped Kuma's mind would be too far gone when the time came, but he had been as lucid as ever, if fraying at the seams. Their only hope was that someone with equal or greater power as Karmen's father could keep her hidden until the child was born. If they'd kept the marriage and child a secret, she could claim it as her own grandchild and leave DavenGallow to someone who would follow in their footsteps. With two failed weddings, their influence is crumbling. Their enemies are growing and their allies are all becoming turncoats. The cat is out of the bag and she doesn't know what will happen. She'd have to rely heavily on Ikaika and Ludovic in the months to come. If they could keep their heads above water they could survive this. If Karmen decided she wanted to come back for revenge, well, getting her out of the way was just a bullet or a call away. Maybe they could agree to go their separate ways and call it even. With how things are now, nothing would be gained by hunting down or killing the girl except for personal satisfaction or, at best, sending a message to anyone else who would oppose them.


	69. Chapter 69: Willow In Splinters, Part 4

They ride the eel for two days and stay generally quiet. At some point, Willow falls asleep and when she wakes her seaweed hat is gone. She assumes Ludovic threw it into the ocean rather than it slipped off her head, but she has no way to confirm this and she doesn't really care. It was a stupid hat.

They all need food and water, so when they see an island in the distance they're almost ready to jump off and swim the rest of the way. Willow urges the eel on and is the first to leap into the shallows and climb the sandbank towards a sweet and familiar scent that makes her mouth water. She crests the hill and her eyes fill with tears. A vineyard. They must have landed on one of the many DavenGallow satellite sites. She crawls to the closest vines, heavy with fruit, and rips an entire bunch down. She shovels grapes into her mouth, ripping them from the stems with her teeth, not tasting them until she's halfway through. When she does, she freezes mid-bite and the tears start to flow. They're delicious. They taste nothing like the wine that's been thick on her tongue for their duration on the ocean. It reminds her of her childhood and the batch of grapes that had made her want to grow them in the first place. They're ripe and sweet and so much better than the ones at home. Why do they taste so different? She'd have to ask the overseers what they did to acquire such a flavor. She needs to taste this again and again. Ludovic and Baldwin finally catch up and she shoves the grapes at them. "You have to try these," she says. "They're exquisite."

They don't have to be told twice. They dig in immediately. As they're taking down a second bunch of grapes a man runs towards them. He gives an indistinguishable call and Ludovic leans down towards her. "Be cautious about telling them who we are," he warns. "We can't get an eel on land." She wants to ask why she should be cautious on her own land, but he straightens and calls a greeting to the approaching man. "We apologize for eating the harvest of your fields. We have been stranded at sea for many days and are in much need of hospitality."

"Water," Willow demands hoarsely. "Bring us water."

"Please," Baldwin adds, tone suggesting more agreement than plea.

"Oy." The stranger rubs the back of his head once he's close enough to get a good look at them. "You've really been through something, haven't you?" He turns towards the fields. "Olen!" he calls. "Bring us a keg of water would you?"

Soon a man comes over with a small barrel of water and uses a pry bar to remove the lid. They are handed metal mugs and they dip them in and drink greedily. It's cold and refreshing and tastes slightly of oak. Willow catches a glimpse of her reflection in the water and blanches. She looks worse that she'd ever seen. Her hair has bits of seaweed tangled into it and she resembles a steamed tomato. The cut on her cheek is long and the scabs are cracking. Her clothing is faded and torn. Her nails are cracked and her skin is flaking. If it weren't for the style of her dress she would be unrecognizable as a noble, much less a Celestial Dragon.

"Trillion?" A woman comes from around the nearest row of vines. "What's going on?"

"Ah," the man before them exclaims. He puts his hand around her waist in a loving gesture that makes Willow cock her head. Do couples really embrace each other like that in public? Ikaika was certainly never that affectionate, no matter the location. She doesn't remember her father ever doing so to her mother either. He explains the situation to her, calling her "honey" and giving her affectionate glances that make Willow feel uncomfortable. The men don't seem bothered by their display, so she keeps quiet. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Shamira." The three of them introduce themselves, giving their first names only. "My wife and I own the Harriet Wine company. We would like to welcome you to our vineyard. You're welcome to stay until you've recovered. Is there someone you'd like to call? Your families must be worried."

Willow's eyes scan over the grounds and she knows he's telling the truth. There isn't an overseer or slave in sight. There are several workers. They're all smiling and working together, carrying baskets full of grapes towards a large three-story house in the distance. It's smaller than Gallowcomb Mansion, but it's well-kept and clean. All the grapes look larger and healthier than the ones DavenGallow produce. It must be something in the soil. She'd have to take a sample and have it analyzed. Willow looks over everything again. So this is the "Harriet Wine? You mean this isn't a DavenGallow vineyard?" Willow asks. Harriet vineyard. She'd seen the brand before but had never sampled their wine herself. She wonders if it tastes as amazing as the grapes. She sees now how the barbarian company can be one of their top competitors despite their smaller and simpler stature. There's some secret here and she has to have it.

The man laughs in response to her questions. "DavenGallow may have a lot of vineyards, but quantity doesn't always lead to quality, if you know what I mean."

Willow tries to not let his comment bite. "How much do you want for it?" she asks softly.

Trillion blinks at her. "Excuse me?"

"I'll buy this vineyard!" she says, almost desperately. "Give me a number. Money is no object. Just give me a transponder snail and I'll have it transferred immediately!"

The man shakes his head, holding his wife a little closer to him. "I'm sorry but our land is not for sale. You're welcome to call someone to come get you and we'll house you until they arrive, but we cannot sell to you."

Her hand flies to her empty side where her pistols always hung. Her eyes dart between Trillion and Olen. She can't take them in hand to hand, nor would she want to damage her beautiful hands any further. The cut on her palm is still burning from when she sliced it open. The rope and seawater had irritated it and it had swollen during the ride here. She'd have to use her biting words to change their minds. Willow is about to threaten them when Ludovic puts his hand on her shoulder. "Willow, call your husband."

Her lips press together as she takes the hint to give it a rest. "Very well." Her eyes flit back up to the family in front of her, who watch her warily as Olen runs to the house to retrieve their snail. She feels a surprising level of guilt. "I'm sorry." Their eyes soften on her and the woman even smiles. The large man returns with a small, generic snail and holds it out to her. Willow takes it and dials the familiar number, not even saying the digits in her head as her fingers move the rotary wheel. It beeps three times before there's a click and Ikaika's unpleasant voice comes through the receiver.

"Who is it?"

"Who do you think it is?" Willow snaps, feeling irritable that he would ask such a question when she's calling on their private line. "Those pirates threw us from San Faldo and we were strand for days. Ludovic, Baldwin, and I washed up at a vineyard on…" She looks to the couple.

"Harriet Island," the man says.

Willow repeats the name into her receiver. "We'll need you to send someone to pick us up. Did you intercept that crew on your way in? Did they have Karmen with them?"

"Willow, the banquet was nearly two weeks ago. I've already returned to Valcour," he says. A cold chill runs down her spine. "And the pirates didn't take Karmen. An assassin came and he fell over the balcony with her. I received a report that a body was recovered and has already been buried at sea."

Willow's breath comes out in ragged gasps. "Are you sure it was her?" she breathes.

"Her ring was returned to me with pictures as identification."

How could he sound so calm? How could he sound like he doesn't care that the child they spent eighteen long years raising has been killed? She sits down against a vine and draws her knees to her chest. How would the Warlords react? How would Karmen's parents react? Is there anything that could stand between them and a slow and painful death? Somehow, that possibility pales to the information he'd given her. Karmen is dead. "Are you sure?" she asks again. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Ikaika's sigh comes through, loud and exasperated. "I can hear that you're having a hard time coping. I anticipated this reaction and have taken appropriate actions."

"What are you talking about?" she asks harshly, grief adding weight to her tone.

"I'm taking full control of the company. Mr. Antwan and his team will also be working for me from here on out. I know you'd like to fight me on this, but the matter of the fact is that I've removed that complication. I've already spoken with the shareholders and bought your half."

Anger, sorrow, and disbelief war in her mind and chest for dominance, creating a torrent of emotion inside of her that she can't process. It leaves her feeling so numb and empty that she can't even cry or scream. "I want a divorce."

"I think that would be for the best. You said your brother was there with you? I'll send the check to his place along with your things."

There is a click and the snail droops with the broken connection. Willow lets the hand holding it sink limply to her side. With her other hand, she picks up the bare grape stems they'd dropped previously and squeezes. The tiny sticks dig into her cut in a painful and welcome distraction. Shamira covers her mouth and Trillion's jaw clenches in empathetic rage. How strange, Willow thinks, that they should show such emotions for her.

She looks up at Ludovic and extends the snail. "Here."

He takes it and grips her hand tightly. "He'll pay for this. I'll take care of it myself."

Willow shakes her head. It's a sweet offer and maybe at some point she would find herself desiring to accept it, but right now, she just wants to lie down and be left alone. "Let's just go home," she says. The emptiness inside her gives her voice a hollow tone that makes Ludovic's eyebrows knit with worry. "Take me to Itmeron with you." Her brother nods and makes the call. He hands the snail to Baldwin and sits next to Willow, stroking her hair gently. She lays her head on his shoulder and stares out at the ocean with dry eyes. She wonders how long it would take before the grief and anger come back.

"Come to the house with us," Shamira offers when Baldwin is finished. "You can bathe and join us for dinner. We have plenty of spare beds." Ludovic pulls Willow to her feet and leads her after the couple as they head inside.

Shamira takes Willow into a bathroom and fills the tub. She helps Willow undress and wash, turning the water a sickly green. The woman is gentle with Willow's injuries and spreads ointment on them to reduce the scarring. While she's combing the tangles out of Willow's hair, she finally asks the question she'd been holding back. "Who was Karmen?" Her voice is tender, concerned, and warm. Caring. Willow's heart gives a twinge of feeling in response.

"She was my daughter." She looks down. Her daughter. "I tried to raise her well, but I don't think I was a good parent. There's so much more I could have done, so many things I could have done differently." She covers her face and crumples inwards, breathing ragged.

"Don't do that to yourself," Shamira says gently. "Parenting is the hardest job in the world. Everyone thinks there's something more they could have done, but in the end, things turn out just fine. I'm sure you were a great mother."

Willow curls her hands to her chest and shakes her head, face contorted in despair. "You don't understand. I'm not the type of person that people like. Normally that doesn't bother me, and I pretend not to notice, but Karmen hated me." She gives a wan smile. "She's not even my real daughter. The government wanted to control her parents so they stole her and gave her to Ikaika and I because I can't have children of my own. We gave her everything, but every time I looked at her, I only saw the child I could never have. I did something so horrible to her before she died. I'm sure she hated me."

"You don't seem like a bad person to me." The woman's voice is overly cheerful, as if she hopes some of her optimism will seep into Willow and make her feel the smallest bit better.

Willow gives a defeated laugh. "You really don't understand." She looks over at her with tears in her eyes. "I'm a Celestial Dragon. Ludovic and I are Davenwell's. The company my soon-to-be ex-husband stole out from under me is DavenGallow. I kill to get what I want and shoot those that stand in my way. I walk the path of a god and barbarians like you tremble like worms before me." She rests her forehead on her knees. "If you want to kill me, go ahead. Just make it quick. I don't want to suffer like the Donquixote's." She closes her eyes and waits for pain.

To her surprise, she feels a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I will not harm you. I knew who you were the minute you tried to buy our vineyard. I'm not sure my husband does, he's not the most observant man in the world, but he's kind and wouldn't turn you away or mistreat any person in your situation. I know you're going through a stressful time right now, but don't offer to give up your life so willingly. If you don't like the person you are, then you can change. It won't be easy, but it's a way to find happiness again. It may be too late for Karmen to forgive you, but not for you to forgive yourself. You're a World Noble, which means you have the influence to make changes. You may not feel up to it for a while, maybe even years, but you can be someone whom Karmen would have been proud to call a mother."

"Lady," Willow mumbles. "Your sentimental bull is nice and all, but behavior like that gets Dragons disowned, and disowned Dragons get lynched. We guard dangerous secrets. If I took your advice, eventually someone would have me killed. Maybe it's what I deserve." She takes a deep breath and leans back, letting herself sink lower in the water as she stares at the ceiling. "If I do find a way to make those kinds of changes, I probably won't, but if I do, I'll try to keep what you said in mind."

Shamira gives her a gentle smile. "Your secret is safe with me."

They finish the bath, they get fresh clothing, they eat, they sleep. Willow doesn't say much and the empty feeling lingers in her core. She watches the workers in the vineyard blankly to pass the time and wonders how they can look so happy, so cheerful, and how such a place could produce such delicious grapes. At the same time, she can't help but wonder how the sun can continue to shine so brightly, how the flowers can continue to be so fragrant, and how the world can keep spinning. Her senses seem numb, but she can tell that nothing has changed except that she doesn't find any enjoyment in any of it. Everything is the same, but she feels like she's experiencing it through a thick pane of glass. It is simply there and happening, nothing more. She doesn't even feel the burn of her skin or the itching of her cuts as they heal. Thinking about this vineyard keeps her mind off everything that happened until she's lying in bed. On the second night, she finally cries. Ludovic does his best to comfort her, in his own way, but it does little to change how she feels. Baldwin does his best to avoid her and her brother until his transport arrives. They don't bother to see him off.

The next day their ship finally pulls into the harbor. Trillion and Shamira present Willow with a cutting from the vineyard. "For your fresh start," the woman says, giving her a wink. Willow thanks her, surprised that she feels genuine gratitude, and manages a small smile as they step aboard. They return to the family mansion on Itmeron, a winter island in the New World. The climate is not suitable for a vineyard, but there is a greenhouse. Willow spends most of her time in the humid glass room and most of the servants have enough common sense to not enter the room while she's there.

The check from Ikaika comes with her things. She arranges the divorce papers with one of the family lawyers and sends them back with the ship. As she watches it disappear, she feels a great weight lifted from her shoulders. Her daughter is gone. Her legacy is gone. She doesn't understand humans and their tendency to care for one another, but Ludovic had been kind to her in her despair. She may not be ready to change completely, but perhaps she could learn to understand him better.

The thought runs through her mind again with a tinge of shock. How long had she thought of another Celestial Dragon as a human? She'd have to keep these thoughts to herself, lest she becomes an outcast like Doflamingo Homing and soils her family's good name, what's left of it, anyway.

Maybe she'd learn to understand Karmen's desire to preserve life and her love of things that could have killed her, even if Willow never feels that way herself. Maybe, if she found out what it was, she could learn to understand the humans who would rather kill Celestial Dragons than bow down or accept them into their own society. Maybe she could sit in the same room as Karmen's real mother and learn to apologize for everything she'd stolen from her and her husband, everything that she can no longer give back. If they wanted to kill her, then they'd have every right. She just hopes she gets to see Ikaika get what he deserves before she gets hers. The thought of putting a bullet through his skull is the only thing that makes her smile.

A little over two weeks later, Ludovic steps into the greenhouse where Willow is tending the grapevine sapling. He holds a newspaper up for her to see and grins darkly. The headline reads: _**Vengeful Ghost takes Noble's Arms to the Underworld**_. Willow takes the paper from him and reads the attached article. Her mouth spreads into a toothy grin that widens with each sentence. And when she's finished, she can't stop laughing.

* * *

 **AN: I'm curious to see what you think of Willow so far. All PM's and review responses will be spoiler-free.**

 **I've been trying to find a balance between two jobs and writing. Let me just say that lunch breaks and slow hours are magical things.**

 **In the next chapter, we start on Geraldo and Ikaika and why I love to hate them.**


	70. Chapter 70: Rise of the Moth-Moth Man P1

**A.N.: These next five chapters will get very dark and include more Doflamingo spoilers, violent deaths, beatings, gore, and implied torture.**

 **I want to start getting back to the present, so I'll be posting one chapter a week with a second filler chapter right after. Once I get back to Karmen, I'll go back to posting every two weeks.**

 **This unit also takes place right after the banquet at Baldwin's manor.**

* * *

Pain. That was the last thing Antwan Geraldo remembered before waking up rocketing over the ocean. It wasn't even a full-body beating pain, even though he did have some handprint bruises forming around the scar-tissue lettering on his chest. The last thing he remembers is that he was sent ahead of Ikaika to Baldwin's manor and had encountered Karmen and her crew as they were departing. She'd stuck him with something. It was a slight prick, like being stung by a bee, and suddenly he'd lost all connections with time, space, and reality. Now, as the ocean races up to meet him, he has to think quickly to keep from drowning. "Ultimate cocoon!" He shoots thousands of strands of silk from his hands, surrounding himself in a light-blocking, air-tight ball. It isn't the best solution, but it's enough to cushion him as he smashes through the water's surface tension, bounces up, and bobs into a float. When he stops moving long enough, he punches his way through, hoping he's not smashing his way into the ocean. He creates a small hole, letting in sunshine, and tears his way out, cursing the whole way. When he can climb out he takes stock of his location. The sun is setting and he can still feel some of the poison lingering in his system. His mind is in a fog and he feels like he's wavering from more than just the ocean. He decides to wait a little while for it to clear out as he comes to his conclusion that he's in the smack dab middle of nowhere, oceanfront vista. Still, something instinctual tells him that if he flies off slightly to his left he'll reach land.

Something inside him had altered since he ate that artificial devil fruit, even more than the white horns on his head would suggest. His instincts were heightened to an animalistic level, his empathy had nearly been extinguished, not that he had much to begin with, he constantly needed sugar, he'd become more nocturnal, and he'd grown an unquenchable longing for the moon. Now as the sun finishes setting on the horizon with a green flash and the last visages of light fade after it, he looks up at the round face, filled with craters and glowing softly in the night sky. Almost unconsciously, he grows a set of four wings and leaps for it, flying in the direction his gut pulls him in.

By the first rays of morning light, he can see Baldwin's Manor sitting on the cliff. When he gets closer, he can make out teams of doctors administering treatment to several nobles with blue tinted skin. "What happened here?" he asks, pulling one of them to a halt.

"All the guests were poisoned but plenty antidote was left, a lot of servants were seen running away, pirates attacked only to leave empty-handed, Willow, Ludovic, and Baldwin are missing but no one thinks they were kidnapped, and we're told Lady Karmen was attacked by assassins and went over the balcony, presumed dead." He speaks as if he's been repeating himself all night. He's tired and worn thin and fully annoying. Geraldo doesn't bother correcting his last statement. He'd report straight to the top about what he'd seen. He releases the doctor to his work and steps out onto the balcony. He looks over the railing at the ocean far, far below. Even for someone who can grow wings, the drop is dizzying. How Karmen had survived that fall is beyond him, but those Straw Hat pirates she'd been traveling with couldn't be underestimated. He'd found that out himself. Even just that swordsman, Roronoa Zoro, had proven a challenge. Some days the name carved on his back still aches. If their captain was stronger than him, then it might be easy to survive a jump like that. In the end, the how doesn't matter. All he needs to know is that it happened, and she'd gotten away once again. The fact that she could fight now surprises him. He must have taken her by surprise before. Still, she'd relied heavily on her crewmembers just to get a chance to hit him. If it had just been the two of them, she'd be cocooned in front of her father right now.

Geraldo is sitting on the balcony railing with one foot dangling into oblivion, still looking at the water below, when the room behind him goes silent. There's only one person who could command a room by just stepping in. He stands and turns around, arm automatically coming up to salute Ikaika. "Sir." He has his black hair combed away from his face and wears a sharp silk suit that probably cost more than Geraldo was paid in a year. He looks angry, but thankfully that anger is not directed at him.

"And what do _you_ have to report?" His words are harsh and strained with annoyance, obviously from hearing one of the doctors give the same report he had, but the fact that he desires Geraldo's take on things fills him with pride. It takes immense self-control to keep the corners of his mouth pulled down.

Geraldo motions towards the cliff with his head. "I don't know how she did it, but I've seen her since. Karmen and her crew destroyed my ships. I had her cornered, but she managed to drug me and I woke up flying through the air." He nods with his forehead to all the recovering nobles in the ballroom. "I believe that was her work too."

"What of my wife and her brother?" he asks, looking a little calmer. "And the groom?"

"If the captain got to them they probably got hit with the same thing I did," Geraldo muses. "The records the marines provided say one of his favorite finishing moves sends people flying for miles."

Ikaika gets a thoughtful expression. "We could use this to our advantage. Which way were the pirates headed?"

"Towards the Red Line," he answers. "I can have men close in on their location in half a day. Just provide me with a ship. I'll get her back and have her begging for mercy at your feet."

"You think like a bounty hunter, boy," Ikaika says, but not harshly. "Still, I believe Willow will have family in the area. We'll make sure Marine presence is heightened." His gaze turns businesslike. "How much money would it take for you to start thinking like a mercenary and take orders from me instead of my wife?"

Geraldo crosses his arms and grins. "I'm sure we can negotiate a salary, boss." They make their way back through the ballroom and he can't help but notice the state of the people around them. "Do you need to compensate the guests somehow?" he asks.

Ikaika gives a flippant, dismissive wave of his hand. "I'll send them all cases of wine. I see the company going in a different direction." Curiosity gnaws at him, but he's a hired gun, not an advisor. He doesn't ask questions. He follows orders.

He considers what he'd just been offered. Willow had been good to him. She'd hired him on at a young age. His parents had abandoned him in the streets and he killed a man, intending to sell the rifle he carried. Instead, he learned to use it and became one of the best sharpshooters on the island. He'd tried to kill Willow once. That's how he'd gotten his job in the first place. A man named Zaytsev had shot his bullet out of the air in a feat of beautiful marksmanship. He'd been beaten black and blue for it, but the sniper had recognized his potential and asked if he could take Geraldo on as an apprentice. Willow gave a dismissive shrug and said, "If he dies, you get to clean up the mess," which was the best anyone could hope for in ways of approval from her back then.

It was hard training and he thought he might actually die and make her words come true, especially walking across the steep rooftops during hurricanes, but he'd made it through. Geraldo worshiped the very ground Zaytsev walked on. Eventually, he earned Willow's favor as well, even getting a position on her personal sniper team. He learned to shoot, to look down on commoners, to kill with reckless abandon.

The years passed and soon Geraldo became the second best sharpshooter in the unit and was fairly decent in hand to hand combat. Zaytsev took him on every mission to chase down an escaped slave or to dispose of a pirate who'd been giving the DavenGallow trade ships trouble and collect the bounty on their heads. Willow usually let them keep that as a bonus to their normal salaries. Being a Dragon and owning her own company, she didn't need it. They would divide it up amongst themselves. Those at the top received bigger cuts, which meant that as he rose through the ranks to second in command, Geraldo started turning a pretty profit. Some nights he'd sit in his room, adding up the numbers on his bank notes. He'd never live on the streets again, so long as he kept his employers happy.

Geraldo had it made. Zaytsev was like a father to him, he had a secure living situation and income, and he got to kill almost anyone he wanted. _Almost_ being the keyword. Willow's daughter Karmen had an affinity for collecting the most untouchable annoyances there are. She always had that brat following her around, glaring at anyone who got close and using a myriad of weapons. He never could pick a single style, but he liked close combat items. He was a gift from her Warlord, apparently street rat turned soldier. Being Karmen's personal guard, he was allowed to live in the main house and was well respected, especially among the government agents. He was a foreign boy with tanned skin who kept his hair in a long ponytail. Rumors said Karmen trimmed it for him every once and a while, but it was more likely that the butler, Godwin, did it. He had a tendency to tear up his clothing and break his weapons on the job, whether it were defending Karmen from kidnappers and assassins or following his lady's orders. The boy was shiftier than his gray eyes. Who had gray eyes? Geraldo would like nothing more than to grind that passive face into the dirt and show him his place, but Karmen was untouchable, which meant he was untouchable, and that made him furious. The biggest obstacle between Peirce's gut and Geraldo's fist was that bible-toting Warlord. The man unsettles him with his silent, inexpressive face. He barely said anything, but Karmen adored him. Every time he showed up, they had to have a cutesy little tea party where she jabbers on in five different languages and he sits there, stone-faced, listening. It was Geraldo's idea of torture, but the bear-man never complained once. In fact, he sat there for hours and did his best to come at least once a month. He spent more time listening to Karmen than he did talking with Ikaika and Willow.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the company he kept was just as unpleasant. On top of him bringing men wearing dresses, fishnet stockings, and tall boots, the Government occasionally sent other Warlords to keep an eye on him. He'd seen Dracule Mihawk several times and Jinbe with him at least once. Karmen fawned over them just as much, recognizing them from the few times she'd been allowed to visit Mariejois with Kuma when he and the Gallowcombs were headed in the same direction. He'd fly ahead with her and take her to Sabaody Archipelago before moving on to make his obligatory meetings. These visits were always pre-arranged and soldiers and agents were stationed ahead of time and kept a very close watch. They'd pick her up from outside the meeting room in a government or marine facility. She didn't seem to like Crocodile and liked Hancock's snake more than the woman herself, not that Kuma would ever let her near either of those three. Gecko Moria was rarely present at the meetings Karmen was brought to, but when he was, the others kept her well away from him and his shadow. Doflamingo's obsession with the girl never made sense to Geraldo. Maybe he liked her manipulative nature and her ability to gather information. He never caught her learning the secrets she knew, but when she revealed one of them it showed that she wielded just as much power as her parents, she just didn't use it often. Her quiet selectiveness added to her powerful presence. Everyone knew to be cautious around her, even her own father. He wonders how much information she has stored away to twist peoples arms until she got her way. The thought was frightening. Between her family, her guard, and her connections, the girl had more protection than the void century.

Luckily Willow kept him busy enough that he didn't often interact with Karmen's guests. Not all could be peacefully hunting and pleasant slaughter all the time. Every now and then one mission would stick with him. He would remember every missed target, every time a mark nearly got the upper hand, every time a slave would rather commit suicide instead of returning to the DavenGallow site where they would have been killed anyway to make an example. Zaytsev always made him clean up after himself to teach him duty and responsibility or something along those lines. Everything he did had to show his loyalty and reverence for the Gallowcomb family.

And then, not too long ago, there came the ultimate test of loyalty. Willow called him down to the courtyard as the sun was setting, painting the sky a blazing red. She stood there with Zaytsev's favorite rifle leaned against one shoulder. Karmen stood beside her, her face void of emotion and her eyes trained forward on the gun's owner. Pierce stood just behind her left shoulder, fist clenched and gray eyes attentive on his charge. Zaytsev himself sat on his knees, hogtied in front of Willow. The story was that his mentor had slipped the wrong information to the wrong person and he would answer for his grave mistake. Willow turned and held the rifle out to Geraldo, barrel momentarily pointed at her own gut. It was time for him to chose his loyalty, she told him.

Geraldo took the gun, hands shaking slightly. For a brief second, he kept it trained on Willow. She stood unblinking and held her hand out towards Zaytsev. Geraldo turned and leveled the rifle at his teacher, his friend. With a deep breath, his hands steadied and his mind cleared. He looked down the barrel at Zaytsev's wide eyes. In that moment he should have remembered the years of training, working, and eating with each other, the camaraderie and the gratitude. He should have, but when he looked into those eyes, all he saw was a fast track to his promotion, wealth, and power. He pulled the trigger and felt no remorse.


	71. Chapter 71: Rise of the Moth-Moth Man P2

**A.N.: Can I just take a minute to say that you all are awesome? Seriously. You really blew me away with the views this week. I had over a thousand only three days after posting last week's chapter. You are amazing and I love you all. Your support of my story means the world to me.**

 **That being said, this chapter was almost physically painful for me to write. I'm good about writing tragic things in hindsight, but I actually really dislike writing them as they happen. This chapter continues Geraldo's flashback and covers his perspective of Karmen's initial escape and the events that happen afterward.**

 **KeturahDaine and I agree that Pierce just needs to be swaddled in bubble wrap some days and that I'm a horrible person for putting him through the things I have. Unfortunately for my conscience, in this chapter arc, it only gets worse from here. I profoundly apologize.**

* * *

After shooting his mentor between the eyes, Antwan Geraldo became the head of the DavenGallow bounty hunters and snipers. He was allowed to keep Zaytsev's rifle and hung it above his bed as a reminder of all his hard work to reach this point. He was Willow's right-hand guard and he loved every reward that came with it. He got to sleep in the main house and attend the fancy parties leading up to the wedding. He ate the best food and wore better outfits than he'd ever been able to afford. He received the biggest cut on the bounties and got to blame his mistakes on those in lower standing. Later, along the grapevine, he heard it rumored that it was Karmen herself who had forced Zaytsev's hand. She'd been paying close attention to the changes in security measures Geraldo put in place. Well, he could put down a little pressure of his own.

It's amazing how information can get a man recognition. All he had to do was remind a certain someone that they had leverage on them. Geraldo always found it interesting that enough pressure in the right places, or even the threat of pain and loss, can make even the strongest people beg for mercy. The morning before Karmen was to be married, his reluctant source, Oliver, came to him with gold dripping from his tongue. He grabbed the man by his shirt and drug him to Ikaika's study, ordering him to tell the master of the house what he had told Geraldo. When the information was repeated, Geraldo offered up a plan.

Karmen and her rat would try to sneak out through the side gate in the garden. Ikaika would head them off and make her regret her decision. Pierce would be tortured in front of her before he was skinned alive and left to die, writhing in agony and infection. She would have to sit there watching for hours or days until he expired. It would be her wedding gift, one that would ensure she would never be disloyal again.

That was the plan anyway. Geraldo went into his bedroom after dinner and took the rifle from over his bed. Even though he was the one who pulled the trigger, deep down he'd always blamed the girl for his mentor's death. He couldn't be sure how accurate the rumor had been, but he needed someone to blame. He'd just pulled the trigger. He hadn't been the cause. He'd get his revenge. No one was untouchable.

Geraldo and his snipers had set themselves up strategically across the grounds. A heavy storm had set in, but it didn't keep Geraldo from taking Zaytsev's favorite perch up on the roof. He'd been taught how to climb without slipping and where to sit without being struck by lightning. He'd set his eye against the scope of his rifle and waited. If that Warlord hadn't shown up the plan would have been flawless. He and his snipers must have shot a hundred rounds at the bear-man, but his paw-paw powers reflected most of them back. It was Geraldo who saw what Kuma was planning to do. He'd seen the man preparing to take off dozens of times. He shifted his rifle slightly, changing his target, waiting for when he knew the others would be firing as well. Kuma couldn't deflect them all. He measured the wind strength, the arc his bullet would need to make to counteract gravity, and the distance, and fired. He watched his bullet tear through the side of Karmen's head right before the pair of them disappeared.

It took him only two minutes to climb down the balconies and reach the place where Ikaika stood, pleased to see that the Warlord and girl had left the rat behind. Pierce was bent over, breathing heavily. Ikaika had shot him in the shoulder and his shirt was sticky with blood. He had the pearl-handled pistol leveled at the bodyguard's head. Still, the boy was grinning, not showing an ounce of fear. Geraldo passed them both and stepped to where Kuma had been standing. He leaned down and inspected the ground. It may be raining heavily, but the blood on the cobbles was still evident. He ran his fingers through it and held them up to the bodyguard. "Well would you look at that," he said in his most mocking tone. "Your precious mistress can bleed after all."

Pierce's eyes widened and his smile faded. It was as satisfying as shooting Karmen. "You should choose your pets more wisely, Sir," he said, breathing heavily from the pain in his chest. "This one seems to take pleasure in tearing up valuable assets." A look passed between them, like Pierce knew something Geraldo didn't and it gave him power over the men with the guns. It was somewhat unsettling.

Ikaika looked at the blood on his fingers too. "Is she dead?"

Geraldo wiped his hand on his pants and shrugged. "I doubt it," he said honestly. "I think I just grazed her head. Kuma was blocking most of the fatal shots. I barely got mine in." He squared up to the man. "I'll call our outposts and have them be on the lookout. Surely he can't go far with her being injured."

"No." His master seemed to relax slightly and he grinned down at Pierce. "If she survives, she'll come back on her own. We have something she wants." The bodyguard glared back at the lord but kept his mouth smartly shut. Whatever that knowledge had been, it's power faded with the remark and the rat was once again on the defensive.

At that moment Willow ran out in her nightgown. She stared wide-eyed at Pierce, then her husband. "Where is she?" she asked. When no one answered she asked again. "Where is she?!"

"Gone," Pierce said, giving a triumphant laugh. "Kuma's taken her far, far away, where you'll never find her. You lose."

Willow took the pistol from Ikaika, her pistol, and hit Pierce hard on the temple with the handle. He fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Check in on your units and meet me in the sub-basement," Ikaika said, waving one of Geraldo's men to begin dragging the crumpled body towards the house. "In the meantime, I'll notify the admirals of tonight's events and will handle the spy."

Kuma had killed nearly half Geraldo's men, simply by reflecting their bullets back at them. He woke Dr. Saaresto along with a couple of slaves and had them cover the cleanup and treating the wounded. He was curious to see what Ikaika had planned. Obviously he wasn't going to kill the rat now, but there were so many other ways to punish insubordinates. Maybe he would take a page out of Ludovic's book and dip his extremities in acid. A gleeful shiver ran down his spine. How purposeless would a bodyguard without limbs be? It would drive Pierce mad. Sadly acid didn't carry the personal touches Ikaika likes to put on his work. He did have a whole torture kit down there. Any one of those sharp objects would be fun to see punched through his skin.

He was still daydreaming about it as he walked down the stairs into the hidden room beneath the basement. He found Pierce suspended from the ceiling by chains, stripped down to just his pants, feet barely touching the ground. The stretch of his shoulders looked painful on his bullet wound. With his shirt removed, Geraldo could see the wound better. It was obvious that it was Willow who had the killer instinct when it came to guns. Ikaika had completely missed the lung and arteries that ran to the arm. It had entered just under the collarbone and was probably lodged in his scapula. Painful, but far from fatal. Maybe Ikaika just had bad aim. Maybe he hadn't been shooting to kill. Either way, Geraldo wasn't going to bring it up, he was enjoying seeing Pierce in pain too much to risk being kicked out. He was rewarded when Ikaika held his hand out to the defenseless man. "You did well today, despite the outcome," he said as he rolled up his sleeves to the elbow. "I'll let you have the first crack at him. Fists only, if you'd please. I want him to last a good long while yet."

Geraldo didn't need to be asked twice. He unbuttoned his cuffs and pushed his sleeves back, bouncing in place like a boxer while he decided where he wanted to swing first. He went for the gut, quickly followed by a punch to the left kidney. Pierce cried out in pain. His gray eyes flashed with anger as he pulled himself up by the shackles and kicked Geraldo square in the chest, and then his shoulder, causing him to spin on his feet. Pierce swung forward and wrapped his legs around Geraldo's neck, fitting his knee under his chin and squeezing with both legs, cutting off his air and blood flow to his brain. The pressure made it painfully impossible to breathe and Geraldo struggled to find a hold on the man that would release him, all the while he was constricted harder and harder until he felt his windpipe might be crushed. Ikaika whipped Pierce sharply across the back once, causing him to cry out in pain again as he dropped back down. He released Geraldo in with the shock but managed to land one more kick that sent him into the wall. Geraldo coughed air back into his lungs and turned around. He could see the blood dripping off the thin rope of braided leather hanging limply in Ikaika's hand and knew the whip had cut deeply into his flesh. It would be even more painful for the bodyguard to pull himself up now. He used the delay caused by Pierce's pain to deliver a punch to his jaw. The snap of Pierce's face into his bicep brought the grin back to Geraldo's face. He threw a few more punches and felt a rib crack. The bodyguard wouldn't be pulling himself up again any time soon. He laughed and continued, reveling in the idea of what the bruises will look like tomorrow. Pierce tried his best to guard himself with haki, but the boy had never been able to maintain it for a prolonged period, something that Karmen had often chided him on and now something he most likely regretted. Geraldo kept punching until he was sweating and Ikaika put a hand on his shoulder.

"That'll do for now," he said. "Doctor, you can come in."

Geraldo looked at Saaresto coming down the stairs, confused. "You're patching him up?"

"Just bind his wounds," Ikaika continued, speaking directly to the doctor. "No pain medicine. We want him to last."

After this day Geraldo often caught Ikaika watching him with an appraising expression on his face. He started giving him a few missions outside of the normal collect and kills. Kuma had gone back to his regular activities as if nothing had happened. The admirals said he'd maintained an air of stone-faced silence throughout a brutal interrogation and had been subjected to more surgeries as a consequence. At some point during these, they implanted a tracking device. Whatever he'd done with her, after it became obvious that he wasn't going to visit and lead them straight to her, the Marines made sure he was too busy to offer her any kind of support. Ikaika left for Galaval after a month of hearing nothing regarding Karmen. He brought Saaresto with him to keep his bait alive and told Willow that Geraldo should go with him to organize search parties in the New World. Willow offered little argument and Geraldo was eager to do something other than read reports on unsuccessful searches. He wanted back out in the field. He wasn't meant to sit around shuffling papers. Even regular patrol around the grounds was better than that. It wasn't that Willow wasn't giving him missions, but he hadn't expected being the team leader to be so... tedious. He wanted power, not paperwork.

Ikaika could care less about reports and charts. One general survey file a month was enough for him. Most of it were things he could set one of his underlings on, which he did. Little Hanssen had joined up out of fear, the alternative being joining the ranks of slaves. He was soft and showed little skill for combat. A desk job was just perfect for him. He debriefed the bounty hunters, kept cost estimates, damage reports, death tolls, and kept ammo ordered. He also started taking Willow's calls and assigning men to carry out the orders she gave. Geraldo went on most of them, but occasionally he was too busy to be bothered.

Most days he was burning the wires, making visit after visit to different satellite posts on different islands, looking for any leads that might bring the prodigal daughter back. For Geraldo, it was almost like being back on the streets again, only this time he ruled them. He used the Gallowcomb name like a double-edged sword, striking fear and loyalty wherever he went and killing those who resisted. Nothing significant ever came of it, but their influence spread in the underground. Many of their leads came from Doflamingo's partners and underlings, who were all too willing to help "family." They found some short, snooty girls with dark curly hair, but none of them were ever Karmen. They infiltrated other organizations, making sure they had spies in all the major countries and islands.

Every few months, Geraldo visited Dressrosa to ask Doflamingo in person if he had any fresh leads. Each time the man would smile that Joker grin and say, "Not yet." He never liked those brief visits. He always felt that the eyes hidden behind those rose-colored glasses could see into his soul. Like he could see Geraldo's hunger, his ambition, and he was waiting for something. He felt like a fruit, ripening on the branch, waiting to see if he'd be devoured or transformed. Whatever the man was thinking, Geraldo was always happy to leave Dressrosa behind.


	72. Chapter 72: Rise of the Moth-Moth Man P3

Ikaika called Geraldo into his office one day, maybe a year after Karmen's disappearance, and he found Doflamingo sitting on his boss' desk next to two small chests. They contained a new experimental version of artificial devil fruit, he explained. SMILE, he called them. He opened the chests, revealing two large apples with spots instead of swirls. One had white spots, the other gray. The artificial bat-bat devil fruit, gray bat model, and the artificial moth-moth devil fruit, silk moth model.

"So what do you think?" Ikaika asked leadingly. "Do you want one?"

Power. _Powers._ The hunger inside him was too great to deny that he wanted one, but he also wanted to be smart about it. "You said these things are experimental," he said. "What are the drawbacks, besides the usual?"

Doflamingo's grin widened. "A smart man," he said. "You're right in thinking that there are side-effects. Your personality might change, you'll probably grow a set of horns, and you might develop strange appetites. There may be others. We haven't discovered them all yet. But with SMILE you can do so much more than regular Zoan types. You aren't limited to three transformations. You can choose what and where you want to transform. I'm told it's liberating."

"Who were you planning on giving the second one to?" Geraldo asked, a thin smirk spreading on his lips.

"Anyone who wanted it, not myself, of course," Ikaika said. "What did you have in mind?"

"I say we test it."

Five minutes later they were carrying the fruit with the gray spots down into the basement, Saaresto being told to stand by upstairs. They passed nondescript wine barrels, racks, and storage crates before getting to a large furnace. Ikaika turned a gauge in a quick combination and a portion of the wall slid away silently. Down another set of stairs, there was a sub-basement that filled Geraldo with deja-vu. It was dark and damp and the smell of human filth permeated the air. Around the corner, the clink of chains could be heard along with indistinguishable mutterings.

"Did you drive the boy mad?" Doflamingo asked with a gleeful expression.

"Perhaps a little," Ikaika said with a shrug. "Though I suspect he talks to himself to make up for lack of human interaction. He usually only sees one person a day when he receives his meal and two when he's taken down to use the restroom. We keep them rotating so no one gets any funny ideas. I never understood bonding with prisoners, but I find it troublesome and best avoided."

Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "I always find ways to use dependency in my favor."

The first thing he saw at the foot of the stairs was an oil lamp on a table in the corner. Next to it were several folded pieces of paper and empty envelopes. There were dozens. He wondered why Ikaika would keep them in Pierce's cell. When they came in sight of the prisoner in question, Geraldo had a hard time distinguishing him from the other bodies on the floor. Several women and children were strewn about the room in dried pools of their own blood. Doflamingo and Ikaika acted as if the bodies weren't even there, so Geraldo did too.

When he was able to pick out the one still moving, Geraldo almost didn't recognize him. He was kneeling, chained to the wall with his arms stretched out above his head. It looked like he'd crouched in this position to rest. He wondered if the muttering they'd heard was a prayer. Pierce's hair had grown, perhaps a foot and a half, and it draped over most of his body. When his head turned towards them, his hair fell over one shoulder and they could see what it had been hiding. His skin was marred with so many horizontal wounds that his once muscular body looked like it might as well be a tapestry that had been used for target practice: frayed and useless. Many of the wounds were infected and oozed with pus and blood. He had sores on his wrists from the shackles and his pants were on the verge of becoming rags. He smelled ghastly and what skin was untorn was purple and bruised, with blood congealing beneath the surface and some areas dying altogether from lack of sufficient blood flow. Despite his wounds, Pierce seemed relatively clean, like he'd been bathed recently. The sound of something moving in water behind them answered his unspoken query. He turned and finds a medium-sized tub set against the wall with dark, sleek bodies slithering inside. Eels. Electric eels.

Whatever Ikaika had been putting Pierce through all this time, he approved. He laughed and knelt down next to him. "You look like crap," he told him, lifting the man's head by grabbing a fistful of hair. "Why don't you just die already and get it over with?"

Pierce made a small noise in response that may have been laughter, his gray eyes filled with amusement as he stared back at him. "Tell me, Antwan, do you have to style your hair with an electric eel to make it stand up like that? When I get out of these shackles I'll be sure to flatten it for you."

Geraldo shook his head. "Half-delirious, half-dead, and still fully brainwashed. She's never coming back for you, you know that, right?"

He grinned tiredly in response. "And why would I ever expect her to? You're keeping me alive for no reason at all. You'll never see her again." Geraldo let go of Pierce's hair and his head drooped back down into a comfortable position. He thought he may have seen those gray eyes flash towards the papers on the table for half a second, but if it happened it wasn't long enough to confirm it.

"Never is a long time, sonny," Doflamingo crooned, joining in. "She's too restless to stay hidden forever."

"Ah, Mr. Feathercoat himself. I was wondering who it was dragging their abandonment issues down the stairs."

The Warlord howled with laughter. "You are trying to die, aren't you?"

"Not that you'd be the one to do it," Pierce said, suddenly lucid. "You want me alive just as badly as they do, don't you? You never did respond well to not getting your way."

"We'll see how you enjoy it for a while longer," Ikaika said. "We have all the time in the world."

Pierce's eyes rolled towards him and he stood, wrists staying locked in position to the wall. "What's on the agenda today? Whips? Knives? Eels? Acupuncture with feathers?"

"We were thinking of something a little different," Geraldo answered. "You haven't had much to eat recently, you must be hungry."

The boy's eyes narrowed and his lips stayed firmly shut. He wasn't stupid, Geraldo had to give him that. No matter, he didn't have a choice.

Doflamingo opened the chest in his hand and lift the fruit from the box.

"No, thank you," Pierce said in a more even tone than Geraldo had expected from his earlier wise-cracks. He had that look on his face. The one he hated. After all this time, he still had that bodyguard fortitude. It wouldn't do any good, but it was enough to frustrate Geraldo.

"Now he chooses to be polite," Doflamingo said with a chuckle. Invisible threads sliced the SMILE fruit into three large chunks. "If you do ever see her again, be sure to mention that I had the good graces to feed you."

"Ikaika here believes she's rather fond of me. She won't look on this kindly."

Geraldo chuckled again. "Then it's a good thing she's never coming back for you, isn't it?"

Ikaika unlocked whatever was holding the chain against the wall and gave it a sharp tug, forcing Pierce to fall on his back. He stepped on one of the bodyguard's arms and Geraldo stepped on the other, adding his other foot to the boy's stomach so he couldn't get up. Doflamingo handed out the slices and used his strings to tilt Pierce's head back and force his mouth open. Though they couldn't see the strings, they could see where they were digging into the skin on his face. The three of them set on him all at once, forcing the fruit down his throat while his legs kicked out uselessly. When they were finished he stilled and they stepped back, panting slightly. Pierce looked like he was going to be sick.

"You two should probably stand behind me," Doflamingo said.

They move to the far side of the room and wait as the Warlord releases the strings as Pierce's skin began to boil. "Donquixote?" Ikaka inquired.

The man cackled. "Get ready for a show."

Pierce pushed himself up onto his knees, breathing heavily. His body convulsed and he fell onto his side, curling into the fetal position. Geraldo thought he was dying, and from the looks of him, Ikaika did too. He took a step towards the stairs, presumably to get Saaresto, but Doflamingo gave a twitch of his finger and Ikaika was spun back towards the bodyguard. After a minute the convulsions stopped. He lay there, like one of the many corpses surrounding him, deathly still and unbreathing. Almost imperceptibly at first, Pierce began shrinking and small gray hairs began sprouting from his body. The flesh of his armpits darkened and stretched along his side and arms, between his elongating fingers. His nose extended into a snout and his teeth into fangs. His ears stretched and pushed upward until they nearly sat on top of his head. Two long horns sprouted an inch behind his hairline and curved low over his scalp, sleek and black. Soon the bodyguard had disappeared and all that lay before them was a large, motionless bat.

The creature gave a shuddering gasp, drawing in breath as if it was painful for it. Its wings drew out of the shackles, narrow joints easily slipping from the bonds. A sound came from its mouth like mewl. The lips pulled back as it took heaving breaths and saliva dripped from its long white teeth. It kept its eyes closed, rubbing at its ears and crying softly every now and then. They watched as its eyes finally opened, large and black and glistening in the dim light. Its new eyes scanned the room and fell on the body of a small woman with dark hair, matted to her scalp with long-dried blood. It crawled to her, mewling and making small screeches as its claws tapped against the stone floor. As it moved, it shook its head, as if the smells and sounds around it grated on its senses. Once it reached the body, it began sniffing and prodding it with its wing and snout, giving little cries as if it was expecting the woman to respond. Finally, it rolled her over and looked at her open, unseeing eyes. The bat let out a screech of anger, mouth spreading wide over the corpse's face as it cried its protest. For a moment Geraldo thought it was going to bite into her flesh and rip the skin from her skull, but it turned away in disinterest. Its eyes turned back towards the three of them as if finally deciding to give them its attention. It stared blankly, but the fur on its back prickled with recognition.

Slowly its eyes constrict until the gray irises could once again be seen and Geraldo could recognize Pierce's consciousness in the animal before him. Doflamingo chuckled. "Welcome back."

The bat stood on its hind legs, balancing awkwardly as the fur shrank away and the body stretched and condensed. In seconds, he'd reverted back into human form. Pierce looked down at his hands, and Geraldo recognized the thought that crossed his face. He was out of the shackles. His looked like he wanted to grin, but his eyes locked on Doflamingo and he knew he wasn't going to have it easy. In all the times the Warlord had come to toy with him and Karmen, he'd never gained the upper hand. Then again, neither of them had really been serious about attacking the other. Now, it almost seemed inevitable.

Fur began to sprout along his chest and shoulders, but this transformation was different from before. His feet stretched upward from the heel and his toes turned to claws. Instead of his arms transforming, wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. They kept transforming, bubbling like tar and growing sharp appendages that might have been claws. He sprouts a second set of wings and then a third, each becoming a spiky mass which seemed to weigh on his injuries. He was panting, whether from the shock of his apparent lack of control or from pain, it was hard to tell. Geraldo watched as his hands disappeared, compressing and elongating into single giant claws with razor sharp edges. Pierce stared at these, then turned to look again at Doflamingo. If he'd had a pointed tail swishing through the air, Pierce would look how Geraldo always imagined the devil to be.

He made an inhuman sound that resembled the roar of a sea king, bending low and throwing his head and shoulders forward like a wild animal. His heavy wings beat against the ground. Letters flew from the table as he sent a torrent of wind and grit on their direction and rushed forward, claws raised for the kill. Doflamingo cackled and spread his arms wide in response. He allowed one claw to swipe at his head before he ducked it, meeting Pierce with a hard uppercut to the stomach. The bodyguard flew back and slammed against the wall. Something told Geraldo that even then, the Warlord was holding back, toying with him. He gave another wiggle of his fingers as Pierce stood, blood dripping from his mouth with a long strand of saliva. He charged again, only to be met with an invisible wall that left thin cuts on his face. Pierce roared and slashed at the unseen force with his scythe-like claws. They threw up sparks as they grated against minuscule threads that were stronger than steel.

"Will he still lose his will in water?" Ikaika asked when the roars died down.

Doflamingo grinned and looked over at the eel tank. "Would you like a demonstration?" Without waiting for a response, The Warlord bundled Pierce in strings and suspended him over the writhing water. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as he was dropped. The eels slithered around him angrily, shocking mercilessly, but the body in there with them made no move to resist. With each shock they only saw more bubbles rising to the surface, nothing else. Doflamingo wiggled his fingers and lifted Pierce by his ankles. He was now back in full bat form, the only wings on him were the ones that his arms had become. He looked like a drowned rat, hanging limply like that. Still, he recovered quickly, coughing before swiping a haki-coated claw at his ankles. He managed to free himself from the strings and landed on all fours. He turned and climbed the wall, continuing to crawl along the ceiling as he planned his next move. "Hmmm. Maybe they put a little too much animal DNA in this one," Doflamingo mused as he watched him.

Pierce swooped down, wings spread wide as he glided towards the stairs. With a wiggle of fingers, his ankle became tethered. He gave a high pitched screech of protest, beating his wings to stay airborne.

"This gives a whole new meaning to 'flight risk,'" Geraldo joked, sending Doflamingo into another fit of laughter as he reeled Pierce in.

He bound his wings to his sides and dangled him upside down in the air before them. Twitch. Pierce was stretched out like a bat about to be dissected, wings extended and legs pulled taut. Geraldo licked his lips in anticipation, but Doflamngo merely examined the prisoner. It was clear that Doflamingo wasn't going to give him a chance to fight or escape, causing Pierce to fall back into his sullen silence. He transformed back into human form slowly, sweat pouring down his temple and off his shoulders. "You'll learn to control that too, in time," the Warlord told him. He returned to a partial-human form, hands transforming into bat heads that snapped wildly, trying to sever the strands that he couldn't see. Geraldo was awestruck. He'd never seen transformations like these before. All he could think of was that other fruit upstairs in Ikaika's office. How much more power could he wield with abilities like that? He was nearly salivating at the thought.

Doflamingo continued his game of catch and release for what felt like hours. Geraldo felt like he couldn't continue watching Pierce struggle without either joining in on the fun or running upstairs for the other chest, both things Ikaika would frown on, so instead he busied himself with snooping through the papers scattered across the floor. Letters. Dozens of letters, all from Karmen. He picked up a few of the envelopes. They all had stamps from different islands, no return address, with different dates marked by the postal companies on them. Why had Ikaika never mentioned these before? He could have concentrated his efforts in the locations where the stamps originated. He opened one of the letters, not caring if his master caught him in the act, picking a random line on the page.

 _I saw a person with wings flying through the sky today. Soon after, they were swallowed whole by a dragon. The creature flew off faster than any ship can travel, so I regretfully I have no proof of either._

"Don't bother," Ikaika said from behind him. "They're all nonsense. I've tracked the stamps already and there has been no evidence that Karmen had even stepped foot on any of those islands. I've tried having the mail deliveries traced too, but all the letters are intercepted and mailed from different locations around the world. I have my suspicions about who might be behind it, but I have no proof." He looked irate, and maybe there was a hint of fear in there somewhere. Kuma, then? Or maybe one of his friends? Yet Ikaika's gaze turned towards Doflamingo as he said this. The Warlord certainly had the influence to pull it off, but why would he? He certainly wasn't the kind of person you accused lightly, especially if you didn't have an army behind you. Something told him the World Government wouldn't spare too many men to make baseless accusations.

The show continued for a while longer before Doflamingo became bored. With one last twitch of his fingers he slammed Pierce back against the wall, slapping him into a new set of shackles that ceased his transformations instantly. Sea stone. Geraldo doubted he'd be leaving them any time soon.

"Well, have you seen enough?" Ikaika asked him.

Geraldo nodded. "I'm more than ready." He gave Pierce one more glance before they returned upstairs. The prisoner was fuming. He watched them with a sense of loathing that made Geraldo glad he was in unbreakable chains. Those were eyes of a man who could commit murder and smile afterward. He saw those same eyes every time he looked in the mirror. They were nearly chilling when turned on him. It pleased him to no end to know that Pierce could do absolutely nothing with all that anger. He chuckled darkly as he climbed the stairs. As they pass the doctor in the basement, Ikaika gave Saaresto permission to go down and tend to him, not that there was much he could reverse after this.

They returned to Ikaika's office and Doflamingo didn't hesitate to open the chest and hold it out to him. Geraldo took the SMILE fruit without a word and bit into it. He didn't show any signs of disgust as he ate, but he thought that with all the scientific prowess it took to make the fruit, they could have figured out a way to make it taste like something other than pure crap.

He felt the changes in him as soon as the first bite was down his throat. It was like a tingling from the tips of his hair to the very marrow in his bones. When he took the last bite, he felt his whole body seize up and he fell to the floor. His muscles reeled and his body shook and his mind vacated his body. He had the vague sensation that his body was melting. It was terrifying and strangely liberating. When he came to his senses, he was inside a fuzzy white nest that was completely enclosed. His shirt was torn and his shoes were missing. As he oriented himself he ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and found two short horns there. He inspected his surroundings and found the walls made of thick, strong strings. Had Doflamingo encased him to contain him? Had he lost control of his mind as Pierce had?

He beat a fist against the wall and managed to punch a small hole through it, letting in a small stream of light that encouraged him forward. The filaments frayed around his hands as he tore himself free. When he emerged, Ikaika was leaning against his desk with a glass of whiskey in his hand. Doflamingo was sitting in the windowsill with one of his own. It was dark outside. How long had he been out of it? He rubbed his head again. "Did you put me in there?"

"You did it yourself," Ikaika said. "How do you feel?"

Unstable. It was hard to stay in his human form for some reason and his eyes kept getting pulled towards the dark window. "Different."

He turned towards the thing he'd crawled out of. It was a giant cocoon made of thick strands of silk that stuck it to the carpet. "You're cleaning that up, by the way," Ikaika said, more amused than angry.

Geraldo turned towards Doflamingo. "If I got the moth-moth fruit, why can I make string like you?"

"You can only make one kind of string, and it's more of a floss, really," Doflamingo said. "Like I said, these are experimental fruit. I made sure it had some added features. I'll tell you about them in time."

The man stood and pushed open the window. The cool breeze ruffled his feather coat and called to Geraldo. He was moving across the room before he even knew his feet were lifting from the floor. The bright face in the sky filled his vision completely and an emotion unlike anything he'd ever felt filled his chest. "The moon."

"It's probably best not to fight it for now," Doflamingo said. "Why don't you go get used to your wings?"

Wings? He hadn't even noticed he'd sprouted them. There were four in total, long and fuzzy, coated in a glossy white powder that sprinkled on the carpet when he shifted them. He saw his reflection in the window as he stepped on the sill. He too had grown horns. His were short and white, but they were slowly elongating into antennae. He stepped out into the empty air and did his best to follow the moon.


	73. Chapter 73: Rise of the Moth-Moth Man P4

Doflamingo visited Ikaika a few times over the next six months after the fruit ordeal, sometimes to see if Geraldo and Pierce had developed any new side-effects, but most of the time it was for other business, business that Geraldo had no part of. The night that Geraldo remembers most is the last time Doflamingo came to visit in the second year that Karmen had been missing. He seemed especially pleased with himself and when he left, Ikaika was in a murderous rage. The lord went down to the basement alone. Saaresto had been called back to aid Willow on another matter, meaning there would be no comfort for the bodyguard after Ikaika was through with him. Pierce's screams lasted especially long that night, making Geraldo wonder if the news that had angered Ikaika was about the boy or Karmen somehow. It was frightening to consider what could make a man who was so calm and collected behave like this, and he wondered if his boss might actually kill the rat this time. Hours later, when the cries had died down into echoing whimpers, Ikaika summoned Geraldo to his office. Despite still growling when he spoke and his rumpled clothing, he looked much calmer. On his desk sat a small jar filled with amber liquid with two damaged, fleshy orbs floating inside. Despite his curiosity, he was more curious as to what Ikaika wanted him for, and that's where his eyes focused.

"I want you to make arrangements to travel back across the Red Line," he told him, "for you and an elite team to go ahead and for me and a small party to come after. Follow any orders Willow provides."

"Did he bring a lead?" Geraldo asked, unable to keep a hint of eagerness from his voice. It had been more than a year and a half of wasted searches and outposts that had devolved into social clubs. Any hint of fresh news was like blood in a shark tank.

Ikaika smiled, sensing his impatience. "It's possible. He said she may resurface soon but didn't give me definite evidence. Still, he wouldn't have come all this way if he wasn't certain." Despite his mood when the Warlord had left, Ikaika's anger doesn't seem directed towards him. Geraldo wonders if the feathered man wasn't the cause after all or if Ikaika had merely quelled it down in the basement.

Geraldo filed the paperwork first thing the next morning and waited for the government officials to respond. They were always quick about it when Dragons were involved, but this time wasn't fast enough for him. The days stretched on and he started feeling a bloodlust rising in him from the boredom. He hadn't been on a mission because Ikaika wanted him close when the permissions came. He could understand the logic behind it, but it didn't kill the time any faster. It would help if Ikaika would let him beat on Pierce a little more, but when he brought it up he was told that it would mess up his "tally count," whatever that meant. He was allowed to go down and torment the man verbally, but after a while he ran out of insults and jibes and having Pierce just sit there and take it became boring. No matter what insult he threw, Pierce never raised his face to look at him and that made Geraldo want to beat him all the more. Unfortunately Ikaika had the forethought to station a guard in the room as a deterrant to lay a single finger on the rat. Eventually he decided the boy wasn't worth his time. Besides, it was beginning to really stink from the infection and the bodies.

Geraldo spent time in the training grounds instead, trying to further master his new powers. He had some of the same powers Pierce had and some he didn't. He could make moth heads out of his hands but nothing else. They weren't quite as impressive without gnashing teeth, but he was given extra reach with the long tongue. He practiced strangling a fighting dummy with this. He could also produce the silky floss that could offer protection or containment. They were sharp enough to cut through most objects but they were nothing in comparison to Doflamingo's string-string powers. When he was fully transformed he was compelled to make squeaks and grunts, one which affected his sensory intake, and the other, as Doflamingo explained, could jam sonar, if used properly.

Finally, the orders came and Geraldo moved his team to Mariejois through the long metal elevator process. He could get there much faster with his powers, but he needed to stay with his rations. His need for sugar had grown immensely with his power use. He was constantly sipping various sweet and fruity drinks, nearly replacing his water intake entirely.

Once inside the city, he and his units were transported directly to the Davenwell property. Willow was there with her cousin, one of the main members of the family. Saint Shalulia, he thinks she's called. They were talking about pistol care and upgrades. When she saw him, she excused herself and called him into a private meeting room. He gave her a rundown of the missions they'd completed while with Ikaika and of their little success in tracking Karmen, despite their growth in influence. She had a collection of letters from Karmen too, but her investigations had yielded nothing either. She was different than he was used to, more reserved, less trigger happy. He found it boring, especially after he found out his orders were to wait for news of Karmen to surface. Apparently, Doflamingo had been visiting her too, keeping her informed on the SMILE progression and giving her progress reports of his own. Maybe he was trying to win her favor, not that he'd ever had an opening with Willow. If anything, it gave him an excuse to show his face in Mariejois.

Geraldo was still there when the report from Enies Lobby came. A definite sighting, according to the man who fought her. Corgi had suffered brutally under her hand, reportedly still twitching afterward for days. She'd used some sort of poison on him that made his skin crawl and he still looked for something to brush off in small fits of anxiety. Geraldo saw the picture he took, the one they were printing in the wanted posters, alive only, and he knew he was right. Those cold eyes were familiar. He knew the turn of those shoulders as she looked down on someone like that, despite her hair being covered and a veil hiding her face. Those eyes were unique, the curve of those arms were graceful, like she was about to break into dance. Willow saw it too. She gave her specific instructions on what he was and was not allowed to do in order to capture Karmen and for a moment he remembered every lesson in loyalty Zaytsev gave him. He felt a sense of pride being under her command again. "Go," she said. "Bring her home." Before he was dismissed she whispered another order in his ear, giving him nearly free reign to make her regret everything she'd done.

Geraldo gave orders and his men arranged to descend the other side of the Red Line, but he couldn't wait for them. He stood there at night on the transportation docks, clouds parting slowly beneath him. The moon shone through down to the ocean far, far below. He spread his arms and fell forward, letting his instincts take him and his wing sprout. He'd find her. He'd bring her back. He'd show her how futile it was to resist. He went forward alone.

He knew the magnetic path from Water 7. He knew what islands they would stop at. She'd want to stay nondescript and therefore would aim for an island that wasn't even on most maps. She was smart, but not smart enough to evade him. He set himself up in the open window of a belltower and waited. Eventually, his patience paid off. He watched as the ship pulled into the harbor. It was different from the ones the Straw Hats reportedly traveled in, but it wasn't unusual for crews to have new ships built in the harbor town. The jolly-roger was the same, and that was good enough for him. They looked so carefree as they separated into their little groups to go shopping. It was hard for him to remain still when he saw her go off alone. He wanted to get her on the return trip. The reports said she may have been injured at Enies Lobby, so capturing her should have been easy. He wanted her to get her when she felt comfortable and safe. He wanted to rip that security from her and watch her as she wished she could beg for mercy.

When she was on her way back from the store with her bag a little more padded than before, he swooped down, landing silently in an alley just in front of her path. He stepped out and her eyes widened with recognition. Her mouth opened in what he thought was a gasp of horror, but instead, she screamed. "Straw Hats! Zoro!" He sewed her mouth closed with his floss to prevent her from calling out again. They were three blocks away from the ship, so only a member of her crew with superhuman senses would hear, but someone nearby may still alert one of them. He wanted to savor the terror in her eyes a little longer, but he knew he had to hurry.

It was the first time since Ikaika shot Pierce that he'd seen her, and seeing her truly afraid made him revel in the sense of power it brought. He kept his strings moving, sewing her to herself at every point he could find, trying to humiliate her as much as possible while making sure to leave the fewest amount of lasting marks. After all, she'd be a part of another wedding soon enough. She had to be left presentable. He laughed and finally spoke to her, opening with the line Willow had asked him to deliver, some sort of private message: "My string-string: floss model powers sure do come in handy in my line of work. Your mother said it may be hard to capture you. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to go shopping on your own." As he continued talking he danced thick strings in front of her eyes threateningly, putting on an arrogant facade, hoping that it would cover the fact that he'd barely put any of his powers to a practical use, that he didn't know all the messages being sent between Willow and Ikaika and who-knows-else, that there seemed to be so much going on in the background that was above his pay grade. He may have new power, but in the end, he was still Willow's bounty hunter.

She was shaking. He'd never seen her so afraid. It was such a beautiful sight that he wanted to revel in it. He kept his attack up, taking time to sew his initials into her shoulder. "I'll run these through your blood vessels to turn them red," he said in a low voice, leaning in close to add a level of menace. As he straightened up, he saw a man sliding around a nearby corner holding one sword and setting another in his teeth, a third stayed sheathed at his hip. His eyes were darkly hooded under his black bandana, but he could see the quiet rage there. He'd heard of this man. Roronoa Zoro, first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates. Geraldo had followed this man's career closely when he was still in the business, as a professional curiosity. He never thought he'd meet the man in person, much less think that he'd be on the receiving end of his blades. As soon as he made eye contact he knew he'd toyed with Karmen too long. He had to move carefully or he'd be screwed.

Roronoa's eyes fell to Karmen who gave him some sort of signal. His teeth set harder into his katana's handle, but he resolved himself to follow her order. Had she hired the crew? Had she blackmailed them into aiding her? It would make sense as to why she'd been so hard to find. The Pirate Hunter ran forward, reversing his sword as he stepped, moving faster than Geraldo could react to. The sword slammed into his stomach and his vision went white. Pain. All he could feel was pain.

When sensation came back he found Roronoa's sword pressed to his throat. "Who are you?" His voice was low and gravely, his eyes darker than before. He was no longer angry. He was murderous. There wasn't room to talk his way out of this. In fact, with the blade already cutting into his Adam's apple, there wasn't room for talking period. Luckily Karmen answered for him.

"My mother sent him."

He chances a glance in her direction. She'd been cut loose from most of the strings he'd sewn into her, but she still looked weak and frail. She couldn't seem to stop herself from shaking as she plucked strings from her lips. She hadn't been prepared to encounter him, that much was certain. Had she grown soft while she'd been away or was she making herself appear like the helpless damsel? He still wasn't sure as she made Roronoa check her shoulder. His blade lightened enough on Geraldo's throat for him to swallow.

The man leaned over her with a familiarity as she pulled her shirt down low enough for him to see. "A.G." he read. "Looks like his initials."

She repeated what he'd said when he'd sewn them in, perfectly manipulating the swordsman's anger. She hadn't lost her touch. Ah. There was that look in her eyes. That air of superiority and disdain. She continued by saying. "So. You're the kind of man that likes to sign his work, huh?" As if they hadn't lived on the same properties for several years. "Zoro, why don't you return the favor. Feel free to use your full name. Scars on a man's back are shameful, right?" The man above him grinned darkly, eyes narrowing with satisfaction at Geraldo's given punishment for attacking her. He was thrown into the air and he felt the man's blades cutting into his back with quick succession. He wondered if the sear left behind in his skin was what Pierce felt every time Ikaika whipped him.

He fell back down to the street, giving a small groan of pain. He knew Roronoa had gone easy on him, despite the fact that he made his signature span Geraldo's entire back. He heard Karmen make another request, but for a moment the words didn't register in his mind until she was crawling towards him with a very sharp quill in her hand. She wasn't done with him yet. He'd come there to make her regret leaving, but she'd make sure he'd regret coming. He wasn't going back with her, that was for sure. She might as well kill him, because when he returned empty-handed he was as good as dead and they both knew it. Her eyes held no remorse as she began carving into his chest.


	74. Chapter 74: Rise of the Moth-Moth Man P5

**A.N.: I tried to make the transition from the 4 part flashback into the "present" in this chapter as painless as possible, but it still ended up being a tad awkward. Sorry. After this, I'll be posting a filler chapter and then going back to my two-week posting schedule.**

 **I think the last line of this chapter might be my favorite from this arc, right next to Pierce taunting Doflamingo. I hope you enjoy what it implies as much as I do.**

* * *

 _Dearest Mother and Father._ Geraldo read the words carved into his skin backward in the mirror a thousand times after he'd woken in the barrel. Karmen thanked them for their concern and told them to kindly leave her the hell alone. She kept the tone sweet and caring with a subtext of dangerous intent. She'd been born a Dragon and her diplomacy suited her lineage. _Sincerely your beloved daughter, Karmen._ His entire torso, save his arms, were now cut and scarred beyond his own recognition.

He returned to Willow. Her fondness for him meant she'd be more forgiving than her husband, and Ikaika had not yet crossed the Red Line. He could see it in his men's eyes as he landed in the garden in front of her, blood seeping through his shirt. They resented him for going alone and knew he was going to bite the bullet. Some of them thought he deserved it. He had to do this well or he'd lose his life. He knew. So instead of cowering and showing his embarrassment, he stood up straight and bowed deeply. As he straightened, he began undoing the buttons of his shirt. "My Lady, I came to confirm the sighting of your daughter, Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen. I return with a message and a signature verifying the crew she travels with." He dropped his shirt to the ground and squared his shoulders, painfully stretching the carved flesh of his chest and back for her to read.

Willow's eyes widened and she leaned in to read it. There were so many lines it took her two minutes to finish. When she got to the signature at the bottom she leaned back. Here it came. She'd voice her displeasure. She'd lift her pearl-handled pistol to his forehead, and grin as she pulled the trigger. That would be the end. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, waiting.

Willow laughed, deep and dark. It evolved into a roaring cackle. She placed a palm on each of his cheeks, pulled him towards her, and placed a kiss on his forehead. He opened his eyes, more startled than if she had shot him. "We have her," she said, eyes gleaming. "We finally have her." She kept his face level with hers. "Organize your men and escort Ikaika to Baldwin's manor on San Faldo once he arrives. I'll handle everything else. We're finally going to have this wedding."

So he had, and he'd encountered the Straw Hats leaving with Karmen and had been unable to prevent it, again. There was no use running. If he was to be killed for his failures, he'd be killed. He would at least be able to give Ikaika useful information before he died. That might alleviate the anger enough to make his death quick. He had no family to mourn him and his men were practically salivating at the chance to hold his position. That was just how things were. He had one loyalty and one loyalty only, and if that cost him his life, then so be it. He knew nothing else. He could go nowhere else. He didn't want to.

And yet, Ikaika had reacted to his failure similarly to Willow. He'd hired him to be a mercenary instead of a bounty hunter. Now here he is: More pay, more loyalty from his men, more freedom to do what he enjoyed most. He should be six feet under with a bullet hole in his head, but he's not. He's better off than he'd ever been before and it's exhilarating. He holds onto his dumbfounded disbelief as he walks from Baldwin's manor next to Ikaika.

They return to his master's ship and there he hears the familiar clink of chains. In the corner of the study in the captain's quarters sits a large box made of sea stone with a single locked door. There are small, barred windows in each side. Inside, he can see shackles chained to the roof of the box and in them are wrists scarred from similar metal bands. He looks inside, suspicions confirmed.

Pierce is thinner than when Geraldo had last seen him. His hair is a foot longer and he has whip marks covering both sides of his torso. He looks like he hasn't been dunked in an eel tank for months and smells to match. His breathing is labored and shallow as if just sitting in that box is suffocating. If starvation and torture didn't kill him, infection soon would.

All this is entertaining enough, but what really catches Geraldo's attention is his eyes, or lack thereof. He remembers how Pierce had never turned his face in Geraldo's direction, no matter how much he berated him, and now he thinks he knows why. Had he been ashamed of looking weak to the man tormenting him? The idea delights him.

It looks like Ikaika had taken a sharp implement and carved through the skin, down to the bone in some places, to cut them out. The wounds blossom out from the gaping holes in all directions, two to three inches long, jagged and swollen with infection. Something fuzzy is sprouting from the wounds, the sight of which makes Geraldo grin as widely as Doflamingo. They're healed where they aren't blackening or sprouting. Maybe the infection would eat to his brain and they'd have a few weeks of entertainment before he finally kicked the bucket.

"You really do need to just give it up," he tells the prisoner. "I want to see if that body of yours will kill whatever we feed it to after you die."

"Wouldn't that be impressive," Pierce quips back, not having lost any of his spunk despite how raw his throat sounds. "Even dead I could inflict more damage than you."

The smile fades from his face and he decides to hit the boy where he knows it will hurt. "Did you hear, bodyguard?" Geraldo asks him with a little sneer. "Your precious mistress jumped off a cliff. Willow told her that if she didn't cooperate we'd kill you and she took a plunge instead. Now doesn't that just make you feel loved?"

Pierce's head tilts to the side so that his ear catches more sound. "How tall was this cliff?"

"Over a mile," he answers. "I checked it myself."

To his surprise, Pierce chuckles. "Then she is out of your reach."

As delusional as the prisoner seems to be, he'd been somewhat right. Two weeks later when Willow calls, saying that she, her brother Ludovic, and Baldwin had been shot out into the ocean by Straw Hat Luffy and had spent the entire time on a seaweed raft. Geraldo was in the study of the mansion on Valcour when Ikaika answered with his half-truths. His master held a finger to his lips. The message was clear. Don't let her know he'd seen Karmen alive. He rolled the ring he'd received in the mail between his fingers as he told her that their daughter was dead. Geraldo has to admit that the pictures had been convincing. If it hadn't been for him, they'd have every reason to believe she'd perished at the banquet. He's filled with a sense of pride in that fact. He'd single-handedly ruined her plan.

When Ikaika hangs up the receiver, he glances over at his new hire. "Will this be a problem for you?"

Geraldo shakes his head. "This means we have the first crack at your daughter as soon as she decides to show her face again. That's all I want."

His master grins darkly. He'd said the right words. His expression becomes one of consideration, as if he's deciding to keep some grave piece of information or share it. "She's not my daughter," he finally says with an air of resolution. "She never was." Geraldo's eyes widened but he knows it's not his place to ask more. If Ikaika wanted to explain, he will. He doesn't. Had Willow born an illegitimate daughter? It would explain why Ikaika'd been so distant to his wife and why he now didn't seem to care about the divorce she'd called for. The man gives a shrug and pours himself a drink. "Get some rest and we'll discuss our preparations at a later time."

When Geraldo returns to his room, he sees Zaytsev's rifle hanging above his bed, dusty, but still in mint condition. He'd left it behind when he'd gone to Galaval with Ikaika. Strangely, he'd very rarely found himself missing it. Now, as he looks at it there, he wonders why he'd kept it at all. He flicks his fingers towards it, sending out tendrils of floss to pluck it up and carry it to him. He'd kept it as a memento of Zaytsev and his years serving Willow, but he serves Ikaika now. Geraldo tightens his strands and the rifle is sliced apart, falling into hundreds of pieces on his floor. He'd have a servant sweep it up and throw it out when he woke. He has no need for reminders of the weak.

It seems like no time at all before news of Sabaody reached them. Once again, Kuma has gotten in the way. There is no way he can escape grave consequences now. They know that he won't breathe a word about where he'd sent her this time. The marines forgo the interrogations and send him straight for new surgeries. Geraldo reads the reports with a smile on his face. Soon, there won't be anything left of the Warlord she knows.

After that, Doflamingo dropped out of the slave trade, causing their workforce to plummet significantly. Ikaika begins sending Geraldo and his units out to make up the difference. It feels good to be out on missions again. He likes seeing the terror in people's eyes when he unleashes his powers on them. He takes those he can and kills those who resist. He revels in the power, the freedom, the blood, the fear. It's intoxicating.

He's coming back from one of these trips in the early morning hours when he sees the flames coming from Valcour. Terror struck, he takes to the sky, ripping through his shirt completely, and flies ahead. This time, his crew is happy to see him be the first into the fray. When he reaches the burning mansion, he realizes things are worse than he thought. The flames are high and searing, surrounding the ocean-side face of the house. It's hard finding passage inside. His eyes trace each window, each vent. Finally, they land on a wooden grate far above his head. The attic. He flaps, hot air propelling him upward like a balloon, and dives feet first for the grate.

He smashes through and lands on the wooden floor of the attic. The boards beneath him seep smoke and crackle as if the ceiling of the room below is ablaze. From the heat he feels, it probably is. He moves swiftly forward, knocking the door off its hinges and leap down over the burning stairs. "Master! Sir Ikaika!" The smoke is blinding and suffocating. It burns in his throat and stings his eyes. The heat makes him dizzy and unsteady on his feet. He covers his mouth with a wing and uses the others to brush off falling cinders and debris. He can't stay much longer, but he knows instinctively where he'll find Ikaika. The man is always there, working into the late hours of the morning and napping in his chair. Is Ikaika trapped under burning rubble? He prepares himself for a nasty sight. Still, Geraldo isn't prepared for the sight that meets him when he breaks down the door with his shoulder. There lies Ikaika, unconscious on his 5 billion Berri rug, missing his arms. Their stumps are black and oozing with something other than blood that spreads in a puddle around him. The smell is terrible, like rotting flesh and tar, and the sight of the man he respected being humiliated in such a way makes his stomach turn. It had to have been her. Karmen. Only she was this vicious. This fearless. The flames had barely touched the office up to this point, which he's amazed at. The crack of the building around him snaps him into action. He shoots silk at the stumps of his master's shoulders, effectively sealing them from ash and infection. Before attempting to move him, he makes sure he has a clear exit. When he looks behind him, he's glad he checked. The flames have engulfed the hall. He'll have to make a new way out. Thinking quickly, he picks up the desk chair and throws it out the window. Glass shatters and rains down on the wall of flame beneath them. The backdraft pulls at the flames in the hall and he knows he only has seconds to save both their lives. He drapes his master over his shoulders and leaps, creating a silk cocoon around them both as they fall into the garden below.

They land roughly and roll into a singed topiary, but Geraldo uses the pain to clear his head as he breaks them free from the cocoon, using the husk as a shield from the raining ashes as he drags Ikaika away from the building. He takes him along the cliffside wall to the front gate. Attempting to ensure his master rests as comfortably as he can, all considering, he makes him a hammock of silk and gently lays him into it. Ikaika's breathing is labored with pain, chest heaving with the mere effort it's taking to stay alive. His skin is clammy and he shakes with shock. Sweat pours down his brow and his head jerks as if he's having a nightmare.

Geraldo takes a transponder snail from his pocket and dials. "Marine emergency services, how can we help you?"

"The Gallowcomb manor on Valcour has been attacked. Master Ikaika is badly injured. Send all the medical staff available and an admiral."

"Valcour?" The receptionist's voice shakes. "Right away sir! They'll be there as fast as they can!"

The Marines come, escorted by Admiral Borsalino and the top trauma surgeons the marines can provide. Geraldo explains what he'd seen as best as he can while the team of doctors work to stabilize his master enough for transport. He leaves out his suspicions about Karmen. Ikaika wouldn't look kindly on letting the marines have the upper hand on their hunt. Borsalino leaves to make the official report afterward, saying they'd already arranged for the top doctors and scientists the government could provide to treat Ikaika and help with his recovery. He'd escort them there personally.

Ikaika wakes as they are loading him on the ship and Geraldo repeats the admiral's plan. "Don't worry, sir," he tells him. "We'll get you patched up and we'll hunt her down."

"No," he shakes his head. "Don't waste resources. She isn't finished with me. She'll come back." He shifts as if he wants to reach for something, then lays his head down and sighs painfully. "There's a black book in my breast pocket. On the last page, there is a number. Call it."

Geraldo does as he's told, holding the snail so his master can speak into it.

"Hello?" A man answers.

Geraldo's eyes widen but he doesn't speak. He recognizes that voice.

"This is Ikaika. I'm on my way to your lab. When I'm out of surgery, Admiral Borsalino and I want to have a long talk concerning your daughter."


	75. Chapter 75: AB Filler 2: Meeting Sanji

**AN: Hey all. Sorry about the late posting. I had a rough night and had a long day at work and didn't realize that I had forgotten until I had already left the house.**

 **If you haven't read the Whole Cake arc, this chapter may have some small spoilers in it. I kept thinking about the first filler chapter and about how it was such a shame that I hadn't introduced this version of Karmen to Sanji, thus spurring another chapter. There may be more in this line, and other filler chapters with side story, but not for a while. On the 15th were back into the two-year gap with Karmen's first mission. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Alternate Beginning, Filler Chapter 2 

The dingy bobs across the waves as Luffy continues to gush about how cool Parvati is and tries to get Karmen to tell him more about fish riding. Usopp looks on apologetically and Nami asks how much prize money could be won. Zoro rows quietly, pretending to be uninterested in participating in the one-sided conversation while listening intently. She can tell. Karmen sips her tea, answering very little. She tries to distract herself from their attentions by curling her still-damp hair around her fingers, trying to get the ringlets to dry smoothly with little success. She keeps her face stony in an attempt to not let on how much their questions unsettle her. Every now and then her eyes will turn to the ocean. If she tries to jump, would Luffy snag her again? She could always dive in when he's distracted, if he'd ever turn his back. His gaze is intense. The way his eyes sparkle when he gets excited unnerves her and makes her spine crawl. She sighs and gives in, setting her cup aside. Maybe if she answers some of his questions he'll go do something else.

"The most dangerous creature I've ever competed with was a three-headed shark. It ate four of my competitor's mounts and I was barely able to keep it from decapitating my rival Braylynn. She wouldn't speak to me for months because I kept her from getting an eye-turning scar. I won one hundred thousand in that competition, but only because my top competitors all lost their mounts. I split the prize money with them to help replace their equipment," she says, shrugging apathetically. It had been a bloody competition, her mother's favorite, but Karmen had taken no joy in winning. She'd rather end nose to nose, not trying to figure out which body part went to whom so the surgeons could try to save it, or that the right pieces could be sent home with the families.

"What would a three-headed shark taste like?" Luffy muses, drooling on the deck.

Karmen can't keep her nose from curling at the sight. "Ask your chef friend when we get there," she says. Her eyes seek over his shoulder, looking for some saving grace, when she spies Usopp preparing his hook to fish. "You won't catch anything like that." He looks up, surprised as she stands and steps past Luffy to reach him. "At this speed, nothing hunting by scent will go for bait that small. You need something visual and flashy. Here." She digs in her bag and pulls out a long silver feather. "This will reflect light and catch a predator's eye." She ties it deftly to the hook, creating a fly lure.

He grins and presses his thumb to his jawline. "I knew all along. I was just testing your fishing knowledge. You pass the Great Usopp's test." He throws his line in and she can't help but give a small laugh. There was something about all his airs that she finds relaxing. She listens as he continues. "There was a time that I caught a fish with three tails. It was struggling to get along, poor thing, because it couldn't ever get where it was trying to go. You see, each of its tails always tried to swim in different directions and one was longer than the others, so it swam diagonally to where it was trying to go. Feeling sorry for it, I invented an attachment that it could strap to its smaller tails so that it swam evenly. After that, it could swim faster than a sea king. I never saw it again, but I've always been blessed with the ability to catch my dinner afterward."

"A fish that always swam in a different direction than where he was trying to go," Nami repeats, eyes sliding over to Zoro. His ears redden and his teeth clench, but all he can do is look away.

Karmen notes their trajectory in comparison to where they'd come from and frowns. She moves to port and stands on the railing so that the boat listed on that side. As Zoro continued to row, their course alters a few degrees before she steps down. When she looks over, she finds Zoro watching her and winks. You really are terrible with directions, she thinks in his direction. He must have picked up the thought in the thinness of her smirk because he closes his eyes and his cheeks flush, but she takes the lessening tension in his jaw as a silent thanks.

She inhales deeply, noting the change in the salinity of the air and the slightest reduction in humidity. Her eyes watch the deep blue of the water become a dark blue with hints of green. Along with these subtle changes, a seagull flies overhead. Nami notices them too and they come to the same conclusion. "We're close." They come in sight of the other island in less than an hour. The harbor is bustling with traffic and it takes thirty minutes before they can make out individual ships.

"Wait until you see her," Usopp drawls, dreamily. "A beautiful caravel with a ram's head and a jolly roger painted by yours truly." He places a modest hand on his chest for emphasis. "She was a gift from the generous, beautiful Kaya from my home island." This is the third time Usopp has mentioned Kaya and the second time he's described the ship, but it's the first time he'd listed the model.

"A caravel, huh?" she asks, voice a little airy. "I like small ships."

"Because they're cute?" Nami asks.

She winks at the navigator. "They're faster, easier to maneuver, they can't hold a lot of people. It's also easier to kick people who annoy you into the water." Nami and Luffy laugh. She gets a small smirk from Zoro and an anxious uncertainty from Usopp.

"Do you kick people off the sides of ships often?" Zoro asks. His tone is passive but a glint in his eye suggests he's prying, testing the waters.

She gives half a smile. "Not as much as I would have liked. Apparently, some cultures consider it a rude alternative to small talk."

"You travel a lot, then?" he continues.

"Less than some, more than others."

His left eyebrow twitches upward a millimeter. His mouth stays shut as he begins to realize he's only going to get vague answers from her and that further interrogation is pointless. Still, he considers her and she finds herself gravitating back towards Usopp.

"Tell me more about this ship," she says, wishing to shift the attention away from herself.

Usopp's eyes sparkle and his face gains a dreamy expression that makes her relax some. "She's called the Going Merry. She was designed by Kaya's most loyal servant. Merry's served Kaya's family for most of his life and never had the opportunity for much travel other than small errands." Karmen's face slowly drains of all emotion as he describes the woman's home life. "I'm not sure if Kaya ever set foot on deck, but she inherited it after her parents died. We saved her from being killed by pirates and she gave the Merry to us. My men and I took out five thousand of them by ourselves. These three took out a couple dozen."

One of Zoro's oars narrowly misses Usopp's head and Nami rolls her eyes. "Usopp likes to tell tales, but the part about the pirate attack is true. We took the pirate's treasure too, but you can't turn down a perfectly good ship."

Karmen forces a thin smile. "It must be nice, being able to protect the people you care about." Her voice is small and matter-of-fact. Her face, eyes, and tone betray nothing, but the change in her is noticed by everyone except the captain.

"There she is!" Luffy yells, leaning heavily on the bowsprit and pointing out across the water. And there she was. A beautifully small caravel, her main and aft masts adorned with folded sails. Her anchor chain hangs stiffly down to the water and her gangplank bobs gently against the dock. Before Karmen can say anything to commend the craft, Luffy stretches his arm out over the water and grabs the bulwark at the front of the prow.

Eyes widening, Zoro grunts as he drops the oars on the deck and grips the side. Nami does the same. Karmen simply hefts her bag onto her shoulder. Usopp is too busy taking a breath to gush about his beloved Kaya's gift ship to notice that he's in any kind of peril. There's only half a second for them all to react before tension returns to Luffy's arm and their dingy is being rocketed across the waves. Usopp is pitched forward, breath forced from his chest as his arms wheel to keep his balance. Karmen banks easily with the bouncing boat and grabs Usopp by the overalls to steady him.

Unconcerned with the welfare of his crew or their borrowed vessel, Luffy allows the boat to slam into the dock as he leaps aboard the figurehead of his ship. Everyone else is propelled forward. Zoro's grip saves him from falling, but he still hits his head on the dock. Nami is flung off her feet and skids across the dock on her stomach. Karmen allows Usopp to fall gently onto the walkway as she lightly steps over the fast-approaching structure and toe-steps to a halt a little behind Nami.

"Sanji! Food!"

A pleasant chuckle sounds from the open door of a room Karmen suspects is the kitchen, given the delightful aroma coming from inside. "Oh? Welcome back. Lunch is almost ready. Be patient." It takes all her willpower to keep her stomach from rumbling. How long had it been since she'd had a hot, cooked meal? The taste of her fresh raw fish breakfast, straight from the ocean, that morning still hangs heavily on her tongue.

"I hope you made extra," Zoro calls, rubbing his swelling temple. "Usopp fished us up a guest."

"A guest?"

Everyone seems unphased by their abrupt arrival and she wonders if this type of thing is commonplace for this crew. They've already picked themselves up and are walking up the dock towards the gangplank. Nami waves her forward. "You might as well meet him. His food is amazing and he's always willing to treat a pretty girl. Though, he tends to come on a little strong. Consider yourself warned." Her tone is apologetic, but her face is light with amusement.

Usopp steps by her, patting his stomach. "I'm starved."

"Sanji! Feed us and meet our new crew member!"

Karmen rolls her eyes. "I said I'd travel with you across the Red Line, not that I'd join your crew." No one seems to hear. Despite her words, she's starting to feel fairly comfortable with these people. Their care-free nature is something she'd rarely experienced and it's a nice change of pace to traveling underwater. If she isn't careful, she could get used to this.

She follows them onto the ship and feels the gentle sway of the waves beneath her. As Usopp had described, she's a good, sturdy vessel. She wonders what the chef is like. No one had taken so much care with his description. She allows her curiosity to draw her eyes to the doorway from which she'd heard him speak. It takes her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness of the open doorway, but she can make out a tall, slim figure standing by a lit stove covered in boiling pots and pans. He wears a half-apron and his long blond hair hides his face as he concentrates on his work. "Wait there, I'll bring out some drinks." He turns his back to them and collects a large tray full of stylishly cut glasses filled with iced, fruity beverages. They look delicious and refreshing and she's relieved he didn't make anything with grapes.

When he turns back in their direction the features of his face are still in shadow. She can tell he has long limbs, a strong torso, and square shoulders. His hair hangs over his left eye. His face lifts in her direction and he slows slightly, just before the sun crosses his face. She sees the stubble on his chin first, followed by a gentle and pleased smile with full lips showing no teeth. This is followed by a thin nose and a dark eye set under a very curly eyebrow. "Karmen, meet Sanji."

A dagger flies towards Sanji's face with deadly force and he blocks it with the silver tray, catching the drinks deftly on his arm, not dropping a single one and hardly spilling a drop. The weapon sticks where it hit, still vibrating in the metal as he blinks in bewilderment. The whole crew follows its trajectory back to Karmen. Her body is in a low lunge and her arm is still outstretched from the attack. Even she looks surprised that she'd thrown it. It had been a knee-jerk reaction. Her eyes are wide with shock and it's taking every muscle in her being to keep her mouth from hanging open. She's shaking, and she can't tell if it's with fear or fury. Her eyes glare daggers in Luffy's direction. "Just what kind of stunt are you trying to pull?" she hisses. She backs up slowly towards the gangplank. "I'm leaving. Don't try to follow me or you'll regret it." She turns and runs, hiking her bag higher on her shoulder. In her panic, it feels heavier than usual.

"Sync." She puts on a burst of speed and leaps ten feet into the air to reach a balcony. She lands lightly and leaps again, making it to the roof this time. She sprints across the shingles, onto the next rooftop, and doesn't stop running until the harbor is far from sight and she's sure no one is pursuing her. She drops down into a locked alleyway and leans her forehead against the cold brick wall, panting. She slams her fist into it and slides down until she's crouching, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating while she spouts a string of curses.

"Are you ok? You're pretty fast. You sure did run a long way."

Karmen gasps and flings her bag away from her. It slams into a trashcan along with its stowaway. Luffy rubs the back of his head as he sits up, pulling a bruised banana peel off his shoulder. "I told you not to follow me," she growls, making sure she sounds threatening even though she'd just flung all her weaponry along with him.

"I didn't follow you. You carried me here," he says, grinning widely. "I was trying to get your attention when you started to run and my hand got stuck on your bag." He laughs heartily.

Karmen sighs and leans into the corner, shoulders drooping in defeat. "What does it take to get rid of you?" she moans. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" She can tell he's not about to attack her, and he doesn't seem to want to capture her, at least for now, so she slides down into a crouching position that she can easily spring from. She lets her shoulders droop forward and her head hang low to hide the fact that she's watching him very carefully. "Please leave me alone." She says this softly, somewhere between a warning and a plea.

"No." His answer is straightforward and solid. He grunts as he stretches his legs and sits cross-legged in front of her. The determination on his face holds her attention. "Not until you apologize to Sanji."

Karmen gives a choked laugh of disbelief. "What do you even know about that man?" she asks. Even now she can't get that eyebrow out of her head. He looks just like his brothers. His carefree smile reminded her of his sister. His quick reaction was just like his father's. His family had claimed him dead at a young age. She'd seen nothing to disprove those claims. They even had a memorial in place for him. She'd seen it. And yet, if they had lied, if he had been cast out before he could even properly fend for himself, what would she know about him? She'd acted rashly, instinctually. Maybe she'd acted too hastily. She looks up expectantly at Luffy. The captain seemed too dim-witted to lie, too happy-go-lucky to even try. Meeting someone as pure as this boy has been a rare experience. "Please," she says in a softer tone. "Tell me about him."

Luffy talks about meeting Sanji at Baretie, how he watched Sanji feed starving men when others tried to turn them away, how he had nearly given his life to defend the man who'd saved his, the man who had raised him. How he'd defended the honor of a bunch of rough-necked fighting cooks against a man who boasted power and dominance, how he'd saved Luffy from drowning. Luffy goes on to tell her how he'd fought fishmen to help Nami, whom he'd only had a brief encounter with, how his food melted in your mouth.

Here Luffy devolves into describing all of Sanji's dishes he'd eaten containing meat until he begins drooling. This time she can't keep her stomach from growling. He comes across as genuine and she can't sense any lie in his words or face. "You're coming back to the ship with me," Luffy declares after she'd started to lose interest. "Sanji's a nice guy. You'll like him."

Karmen is about to argue but she's begun to feel bad about throwing the dagger. If anything, she could try to get it back. Blades are expensive. "I suppose I should apologize."

Luffy gives a wide-grinned laugh with closed eyes. "It's settled then." As if he'd really given her much of a choice. She could get away from him if she really, really tried, but something inside her says that it's not worth wasting the energy. She sighs as she collects her bag and stands and they leap back up to the rooftops. Luffy loops his arm around her waist securely. "Gum-gum…" She recoils at his sudden touch, but doesn't have much time to protest before "Rocket!" and they're flying through the air back towards the harbor. She keeps her face deadpanned and her mouth closed until they land back at the dock. When he releases her, she quickly steps away and wipes her hands over where he'd touched her. Luffy doesn't notice. He's too busy pacing jauntily back towards the ship. While she'd like to smack him for touching her without her permission, she bites back her instincts and follows, remembering why she agreed to come back in the first place.

When they reach the Going Merry again she sees that everyone's been given their drinks and are standing around looking bewildered or exasperated. Embarrassment floods Karmen. She hadn't meant to show these people that side of her, not after the pleasant, if tiring, morning she'd spent with them. She doesn't even know how to start explaining why she'd done it. She can't tell them too much, but they deserve something close to the truth. If this Sanji guy is who she thinks he is, and she has little doubt in her mind, he probably doesn't want his past dredged up nearly as much as her. If he was like the rest, he had her in a tight spot. Revealing him revealed herself, and that leaves her in precarious waters. She'll be careful, but she won't be trusting.

She's surprised when everyone looks relieved as she follows Luffy back onto the ship. Nami even gives a sigh of relief and places a hand on her chest saying, "We were worried about you," to her. Her. After she'd nearly killed their friend. What kind of crazy did this crew have to deal with? Her gaze falls on the back of Luffy's straw hat. She can only imagine.

Usopp gives a nervous laugh and rubs the back of his head. "You really surprised them there," he says. "I myself can throw a dagger twice as well, but your aim was nearly as good as mine."

Zoro leans against the outer wall of the kitchen, one eye closed and arms crossed. His face is passive and unconcerned, but the set of his shoulders and the tilt of his head suggests that he'd be willing to use his three blades if she did pose a serious threat. Sanji watches her curiously. He's still holding the impaled tray with the remaining drinks stacked back on it, as if her dagger is some sort of showpiece.

Karmen rubs her arm sheepishly and shuffles her feet as she forces herself to meet his eye. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw the… The dagger was… I shouldn't have…" She takes a deep breath. "I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry. It's just… you remind me of a group of people that are allied with people who've tried to kill me before." The words flood out in the span of a single breathe. "I know now that it would be practically impossible for you to be affiliated with them, so again, I'm sorry." She gives a small bow and waits for his response.

His eye closes and he smiles happily. "Don't worry. I'm not angry."

Karmen blinks. "You're not?" This could be a trap. She tries to remind herself that she's only just met the man and she shouldn't make any more rash judgments, but it's hard with that eyebrow bobbing at her.

He pries her dagger out of the tray and sets the drinks aside gently. Her body tenses in anticipation that he'll turn her own weapon on her, but he merely extends it to her handle first. Before she can decide if she wants to grab it or not he smoothly drops to one knee and takes her hand, thumb caressing the back of it. "Might I say, Lady Karmen, that your throwing arm is dazzling for one as fair and elegant as yourself. What a lucky man I am to have seen such a splendid display of skill. Your beauty is stunning. Your brown eyes are like-"

Karmen's dagger is in her hand and flashing a distraction as her knee meets his chest. He falls backward and she moves with him, pinning him to the deck and holding the blade to his throat. The same look is in her eye and the same panic runs through her body. She realizes what she's doing and backs off him, holding her hands out to the sides of her head and limply grasping the dagger like a bomb that might explode. "I'm so sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have my dagger." She glances around and her eyes fall on Usopp. "Here. Keep this away from me." He fumbles the blade as she hands it off to him, but manages to clasp it in both his hands. She looks apologetically down at Sanji, but all her concern is lost when she sees he's still sprawled there with hearts in his eyes and a drop of blood threatening to drip from his nostril. He'd let her attack him, that much she knows, but he made no move to counter it or strike her. He really isn't like the others. Still, she doesn't trust him in the slightest. "Maybe you'd better stay five feet from me at all times. And no poetry and flirting or… talking." She knows she's being unfair, but she can't imagine any other alternative to keep herself from attacking him. She picks up her bag again. "Well, I've said everything I wanted to. Good luck out there." She turns and starts walking again but a familiar hand latches onto her shoulder. Karmen groans, but can't help smiling.

"You agreed to come to the Grand Line with us," Luffy reminds her.

She glances at him and raises her eyebrow. "I can't stop attacking your chef. Are you sure you want me to come along?"

"That idiot won't mind," Zoro mutters. "Trust me."

She blinks. "You're all ok with this?"

Nami shrugs. "We've run into quirkier people."

"And if I said I preferred being on my own?"

"Then you'll have to convince Luffy," Usopp answers, finally lowering her dagger a little. The captain grins.

She shakes her head. "I can't trust myself on this ship. I'll make other arrangements."

"At least stay for lunch. It's hard to travel on an empty stomach," Sanji says as he pushes himself off the deck while giving her an annoyingly pleasant smile. He opens his eye and gives her a look of concern. How he can do this after she's nearly impaled him twice is beyond her. It makes her chest feel tight and she hates him all the more for it. "I can tell by the color of your skin that you haven't been eating well."

Her chin tucks slightly. "I have nutrient-rich tea to make up for my lack of cooking skills," she says. "I'll be fine." The wind changes, sending the delicious smells from the kitchen wafting towards her nose and her stomach gives a loud growl in protest. She drops her bag with defeat. "I'll stay for lunch. That's it."

Sanji grins and Luffy whoops, throwing his fists into the air. "Let's eat!"

The cook returns to the kitchen and Karmen picks up one of the drinks off the tray he'd left behind. "Careful," Zoro says in a teasing tone. "He may have poisoned that."

Karmen gives a boastful chuff and takes a deep drink of it. "Poison doesn't concern me, Roronoa." He gives a soft snort and a satisfied smile. "Do you expect me to be dainty and squeamish?" she asks. "Because if you do I believe I'll leave you sorely disappointed."

"It's not that," Nami pipes in, fixing Zoro with a stern glare. "It's just that most people would hesitate to dine with pirates."

"Unless they're pirates themselves," Zoro adds. More leading statements. She might throw a dagger at him as well before the day is through.

Karmen gazes out at the ocean, eyes softening with a distant memory. "I've dined with pirates before. I know enough to remain cautious when I need, but I prefer their company to others."

Zoro's eyes scan his companions, missing Sanji completely. "I know what you mean." She's not sure if he does, but he'd recently made a drastic life change in order to be here too, so maybe, in some small way, he does. "You said someone's tried to kill you?" The jump into the new topic is so sudden she's jarred out of her carefully composed demeanor.

She quickly falls back into a wry smile. "Some have tried, few have gotten close," she says, gaze lowering as she recalls the memories. Her eyes fall back to Sanji and she changes the subject again just as fast. "He doesn't expect me to be able to sit down at a table with him, does he?" Karmen asks Nami who follows her gaze.

The navigator winks. "I've got you covered." She cups her hand to her mouth. "Sanji, can we eat out on deck? I want to enjoy the island a little more before we leave."

"Of course, Nami-swan!" comes the response. "I can always expect such lovely ideas from you."

"Just how twisted around your finger is he?" Karmen asks.

"He's just twisted," Zoro answers for her.

"Ignore him," Usopp says with a smile, leaning his elbow lightly on Karmen's shoulder. She notices he'd tucked her dagger into a belt loop. "Sanji's just a gentleman." Karmen scoffs. "You don't believe me?"

"I think it's the tallest tale I've heard you tell yet," she responds. "I've met many a man who've claimed themselves to be a gentleman and very few who live up to it."

"Keep watching," Nami says. "He may surprise you."

Karmen had found in the past that if you expect nothing and everything from people you do not trust, you are very rarely surprised. She keeps this to herself but reflects on it silently. She hopes very few of her closest confidants hadn't been unpleasantly surprised by her. She hopes there isn't a single case. The likelihood of this, she knows, is very slim. It's easier to not get close enough to anyone for them to trust you. But even then, it's unlikely that no one will ever get hurt because of you.

Sanji heads back into the kitchen and stops with just his head poking out of the doorway. "Please make yourself comfortable," he tells her. "I'll bring out your plate."

She follows Zoro across the deck to where he sits against the bulwark. She seats herself a few feet to his right, close to the bow where Luffy is chanting about food and clapping. "Planning your escape or just looking for someone to talk your ear off?" the swordsman asks jokingly.

"You and the chef seem to dislike each other, which I assume to mean that you argue a lot, so this seems the safest place for me," she tells him. "He has to go through you in order to flirt with me."

"You're not wrong there." Usopp sits against the mast and leans forward, hungry for details. "So, what about Sanji made you want to attack him?"

Karmen's mouth thins and she presses her teeth together before responding. If he isn't anything like his family, he probably wouldn't appreciate her drawing attention to them. Luffy had said he'd been raised by someone else. She should know that you can't pick who you're born to, only what you decide to do after. "I just really hate flirtatious men." It isn't a lie, but it's not entirely the truth. Hopefully, they won't push the subject. She doesn't want to attribute it all to post-traumatic stress, but it would be a lie if she doesn't fly into a panic every time he gets close. Half the time she attacks him she doesn't even realize what she's doing until he's pinned. She'll accept the meal, and then she'll go. There's no way she can go to the Grand Line on this ship, if only for his safety. She'll find another way.

Usopp cocks his head at her. "But he didn't say-"

"Lunch is ready!" Usopp is interrupted by a cheerful voice. Sanji comes out with his tray filled with plates of braised cabbage wraps. From the smell of it, the filling consists of pork and vegetables. It's drizzled in a red-orange pancetta sauce. She notices that Luffy's are larger and look like cabbage burritos. He gives Nami hers as he passes and she thanks him with a pleased smile that nearly causes him to melt. He completely passes the men to deliver Karmen's food next.

Sanji stops exactly five feet away. She sighs. "You have my permission to approach when food is involved," she says. She feels she should be extra courteous in continued apology, so she allows him a rare window of openness. "You were right when you said I tend to not eat very well. This will be a pleasant change."

"Then I'm glad that I'm the one to present you with a hot meal." She expects him to rush forward, but he takes careful, deliberately slow steps. She'd done nothing but badger and attack the man and he's taking extra regard to ensure she feels comfortable with his presence. Her mind screams that it's a trick, some sort of trap, but she keeps her hands still and her legs planted. He stops about even with Zoro's feet. He bows forward at the waist and extends her plate at arm's length. He gives her a pleasant and friendly smile that makes her skin crawl and she hesitantly accepts the plate.

She looks down at it as he hands out plates to everyone else. She really doesn't expect it to be poisoned. No chef worth his salt would do that, even a pirate chef. Looking at his food, there's no question of that. He'd prepared a five-star meal and presented it as a simple lunch, but she can see the effort he'd put into it. Even the way he'd folded the cabbage is precise. Uniform. Almost loving. Instantly her brain tells her that no one from that family is capable of love, but almost just as quickly she contradicts herself. She won't compare him to them. She can't. She'd been nothing but horrid to him and he hadn't raised a finger against her or even lashed his tongue. If it weren't for that eyebrow of his, for his flirtatious nature, she wouldn't even know who his family was. She would be treating him much more fairly. What's wrong with her?

She pushes these thoughts aside. She can think hateful thoughts about herself when she's alone again and not while her aromatic food is growing cold. She picks up her fork and tears off a bite. The filling is just as she'd expected, perfect and appealing in every way. She's not sure if even the great chefs who serve the nobles could compare to this man's skills. She puts the bite to her lips and tastes it for the first time. Electricity runs through her and she slumps forward over her knees, lips still closed around her fork. It's all she can do to keep from whimpering. This taste. This food. Holy Kudra this is heaven. Footsteps rush in her direction and a strong hand is gently placed on her shoulder. "Karmen, are you alright?" Sanji asks.

The concern in his voice and the gentle worry of his actions completely melt her apprehension. She looks up into his caring gaze and smiles as she lowers her fork and blinks back the moisture in her eyes. "I'm fine," she responds in a quiet voice. "It's just really, really good. I was a little caught off guard."

His concern melts into a wide, happy grin. "Do you love me now, lovely Karmen?"

Her elbow connects with his chin, sending him off balance long enough for her to place her hands on the deck and kick with both feet. Her attack connects with him square in his chest. He flies backward, over Zoro's legs, and straight into the wall of the kitchen. While he slides into a seated position, she wheels to her feet and flings her fork. The utensil narrowly misses the artery on the left side of his neck and pins his collar to the wall.

"You just had to go and push your luck, didn't you?" Karmen growls with frustration and throws her hands up around her head. "Gah! At least defend yourself when I attack you!"

He lights a cigarette and a small smile spreads across his face as he exhales smoke. "A gentleman never strikes a woman," he says, lifting his face to her. "If I were to injure you while blocking one of your blows, I could never forgive myself."

Karmen growls and turns her back on him. "And stop being so nice to me! It's confusing and unnatural."

His voice becomes soft and unnervingly insightful. "Is it that rare for you to be treated kindly?"

It feels like the ocean breeze itself is holding its breath. When she's turned back to him, all the emotion has left her face. She takes steady steps forward, stopping by his knee in silence. She wrenches her fork out of the wall and begins walking away. "I'm going to finish my meal in the crow's nest, if you don't mind." She picks up her plate and reaches the yardarm in three easy leaps up the ratlines. With one more she's seating herself in the wooden bucket beneath the flag.

She eats slowly, keeping her chin lowered and her eyes off the sky. Keep your head down and eyes pass you by. The philosophy hadn't worked so well recently. She'd certainly chunked it aside with this crew. Something about them makes her abandon nearly every safety measure she'd made to barricade herself from other people and keep attention away.

She exhales slowly, leaning over her knees. Her thoughts float to someone she'd been forced to leave behind. She wonders what he's been given to eat today and feels guilty for dining on something so delicious without him. "Pierce," she says the name under her breath, hesitant to even say it out loud. "Can you tell that I have no idea what I'm doing?"

"Of course I can," a voice above her says as she's suddenly cast into shadow. "Meals are supposed to be enjoyed with friends, not alone way up here."

"Hi, Luffy." She's grown to know him enough to not be surprised that he'd followed her. She leans back and looks up at him. His straw hat ruffles in the wind, making the beams of sunlight haloing him dance in radiant paths. Something about him…

He looks at her plate and deflates slightly with disappointment. "I was hoping you'd have some food left."

She can feel footsteps along the yardarm and sees Usopp poke his head over the wall. Her little, private bucket is starting to feel very crowded. "I'll take your plate if you're finished," he offers.

She shrugs and hands it up to him. "Tell Sanji that if he keeps his mouth shut I'll help with the dishes to make up for what I've put him through today." He nods and drops out of sight, the mast giving a slight lurch as he begins his descent.

Luffy turns his attention back to her. "So why are you going to the Grand Line?" he asks.

Karmen looks past him at the sky, feeling the breeze that tousels her loose curls. "Someone's waiting for me out there," she says. "I promised that I'd come find him."

"I've got someone waiting for me too!" The captain laughs, not in mockery, but in excitement, placing a thoughtful hand on top of his hat. "Your friend must be strong if they're out on the Grand Line." A particularly large wave rocks the ship beneath them and Karmen wonders if a storm might be moving in.

She returns his expression with a thin smile. "Stronger than me, that's for sure."

"So why not just come with us?" Luffy asks. "We're headed to the same place."

The corner of her mouth twitches up a little farther. "I'm not exactly safe to be around."

"We don't mind." He gives her his most genuine grin and for half a second she wonders what it would be like if she said yes.

"Sorry, Luffy," she says instead. "That's not a risk I'm willing to take." She watches the clouds floating by up above them. She should be on her way too. She stands and stretches. "Well, if I'm going to find another ship to take me there, I'd better do those dishes and be on my way." She climbs out of the crow's nest and slides down a line, past the unfurled sails, to the deck. The ship rolls gently under her as it carves across the waves. The ship is moving. They'd begun sailing at some point while she'd been eating or talking with Luffy. She casts a panicked look back to see the harbor far behind them. Her expression settles into one of quiet indignation as she picks up a spool of rope and steps to the bow, eyes scanning the water for anything large. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll be taking this rope to harness a ride."

Luffy drops down beside her. "Great idea!" he says. He looks into the water with her. "Oh! Look at them all. Sanji, catch those fish and cook them for dinner!"

His voice cuts through the water like a knife, causing Karmen's shoulders to droop. "Aaand there go all the fish." She drops the rope on deck and sits beside it. "Fine. You win. I'll travel into the Grand Line with you."

Luffy cheers and the other members of the crew give apologetic smiles. "Welcome aboard," Nami says, sticking her tongue out slightly in a friendly gesture.

Karmen exhales, tired but content. It's not like she hadn't been kidnapped before. Maybe being with other people for a few days won't be such a bad thing after all. She points at Sanji. "Five feet."


	76. Chapter 76: Creating a Haunting

**AN: Hello everyone. No, I'm not dead. Sorry for my prolonged absence. Some of my chapters were deleted and work got a little hectic. As I said before, this chapter throws us back into the main timeline for the story and begins Karmen's missions during the two-year gap. Some exciting things are going to start happening and I hope you enjoy reading.**

 **Merry Christmas! -KnightNGale020**

* * *

The winery beneath them is close to sea level and surrounded by a wall with an iron gate marked with the number sixty-eight. The compound is dark and unassuming. Galaval and Valcour don't actually produce enough grapes to make full use of DavenGallow Co.'s satellite sites. With each partnership Ikaika makes, he seals the deal by placing either a small vineyard or winery on the person's island. With each new installment more guards, ships, and slaves are needed to run the facilities.

Karmen and Pierce have been observing the facility for two days. Her first test had been to make sure there wasn't anyone inside with observation haki strong enough to see her, then to map the grounds. While she'd walked between the barrels and vats she observed the staff and the conditions the slaves were in. If any of the guards or the people who checked the quality of the wine didn't seem like complete monsters she would take note of them and move on for now. There were some staff, as expected, who were utter trash whom Karmen wouldn't have minded punching in the face. In fact, one of the overseers had made to strike one of the slaves who had collapsed from exhaustion. She'd stabbed the attacker with a toxin that instantly made him feel like he'd worked for six days without sleep or rest. The man had collapsed, foaming at the mouth. The other guards drug him away, simply telling the slave to get back to work. The satisfaction of the act filled Karmen with righteous glee. She couldn't wait to destroy this place and give the slaves their freedom.

Now that the second night had set in, they sit faded on the hill above the facility preparing to implement phase two. As she observes the glowing windows Karmen can't help but wonder how many of these facilities were built by Ikaika's business partners who had hoped they'd be the one Gallowcomb would choose for her to marry. She remembers the man who runs this island, not his name, but the clammy coldness of his fingers. He'd been in his forties and ran a merchant company. She'd forgotten the name of that too. She finds that she'd like to forget all the faces and names of Ikaika's male business partners. She wants to destroy all his assets and rescue as many people as possible. Then she'd go back to Sabaody. The thought of Luffy's eager smile focuses her mind. There isn't much time when she thinks about it all. She has to work quickly and fulfill her missions completely. She'd go back to _Sunny_ without any regrets.

"Describe it for me." Pierce's voice breaks her out of her thoughts.

Her eyes wash back over the facility. "Directly down the hill is a smooth stone wall that expands to the ocean to the left and the town to the right. The other side is a shipment port with ocean access. The complex is small, square cornered and flat-roofed, with a side building that contains seventy-five people. There are three lights in the windows of the main building. Two on the third floor and one in the basement. Inside the finished wine is treated and stored on the lowest level. A team of slaves makes adjustments to the barrels throughout the night with one overseer. On the floor above are the presses and above that are the offices, the break room, and the communications room. We'll need to start there." She looks over at him. "What are you getting?"

He does a partial transformation, ears and nose extending, pushing his new leather visor forward slightly. She frowns at it but waits for his response. "It smells like wine and blood," he says, turning his head away from the wind to take a deep breath. "I can hear an iron door and a whip." He shudders slightly and reverses his transformation.

Karmen holds his forearm. "Are you going to be ok?"

He takes another deep breath and nods. "How long until we take them down?" His voice is a tight growl and he continues to shake with rage.

"One more day," she promises. "We have to keep up personas." She pats his arm before standing. "Come on. Let's go haunt them and make them believe in curses."

"For us to do that all they need to do is watch you cook."

She snorts and holds her hand out to him. "Shut up and lend me a wing." He transforms as he takes her hand and she hooks his clawed thumbs over her shoulders. She leaps and his wings snap open, carrying them down on the unsuspecting compound.

They land lightly on the roof. Karmen steps over to an access door and tries the knob. Locked. "Want me to break it for you?" Pierce asks.

"What kind of ghost breaks locks?" she asks, shaking her head. "You forget I spent months on a ship with a cat burglar." She removes a bobby pin from her hair and gets on one knee as she inserts it into the lock. With a jiggle and a twist the door swings open. "She taught me how to do that in exchange for me teaching her how to slip a rope."

"Mistress, I'm not sure if I should be proud of your knowledge or worry about you traveling with unsavory characters."

"We're breaking into a DavenGallow compound full of people who beat slaves all day and you're worried about me learning how to pick a lock?" she asks.

"Point taken."

They slip inside and move into the first door on the left, the break room. There is a large table in the center where the guards take their meals, a small kitchen, and a large icebox. A young man stands at the counter chopping vegetables for stew. Karmen points him. "Oh, I love this guy," she says. "He's pretty tame. He's kind of their self-taught chef. He just comes in to fix the food and tries to make sure the slaves get enough to eat."

"How do you know he's self-taught?" Pierce asks. He keeps his voice low even though he knows Karmen is masking their presence.

"He mentioned it the other day," she says with a shrug. She steals forward and pricks the man with her quill. "Flexomn." She gets close so she can whisper in his ear as his eyes glaze over. "You want to make some extra food tonight. Tomorrow you will come into work as usual but you will leave before sunset. No matter what anyone says or does, you will be home by the time it gets dark. You deserve a vacation. A long, relaxing vacation and a job that doesn't weigh so heavily on your heart."

"Ok," he responds simply. "I won't come to work. I don't like this place anyway. I just wanted to know they were taken care of, at least a little bit."

This warms her heart. "I promise I will." She steps over to a blank area of wall and grins. "Pierce, would you like to do the honors?"

She feels his snout pull back into a toothy grin. "You have no idea." He extends his wings forward and begins writing, gouging the plaster with his razor-sharp claws, but the letters he's carving are off.

"Dearie, that's braille."

His wings stop. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You've made some great progress," she says, nodding with satisfaction. "We just need them to be able to read it too."

"I'll start over."

"Thank you."

He carves over his letters until there is a very legible "Get Out" there in large, morbid letters.

"I love it," she says. "Let's go do the rest."

They move through the building systematically, top to bottom. They don't carve their message in every room, but they leave deep gouges in the walls where they do. They dodge night guards with rifles and she tells him about which ones have been particularly nasty over the past few days. Luckily almost everyone is asleep. The guards have grown lax from lack of incident and they use it to their full advantage. Karmen sets algidity grenades at strategic locations around the compound. In the basement, they carve a different message. "Leave or suffer the Gallowcomb Curse."

She stands there admiring it for a long time. "You're stupidly happy, aren't you?" he asks.

"Maybe," she says, drawing the word out playfully. "We'll give them a day to choose if they're smart enough to evacuate and then we'll leave it to Kudra."

"You still haven't explained why you brought her along."

"Let's just say we'll need to know who our devil fruit users are before everything goes down."

Pierce groans, finally catching on. "Don't you think that's a little extreme?" he asks.

She glances over her shoulder as she begins climbing the stairs again. "I blew up a building getting you out. This is mild for me."

She returns to the kitchen and collects the extra food, passing most of it back to Pierce. She observes the kitchen boy for a few moments longer after they'd finished. It was possible that he would be hunted down and interrogated after tomorrow night. She only hopes they can provide enough of a distraction to keep him and any others from prolonged discomfort. She'd had Pierce write out the warnings to paint a target on her own back. They'd have to make sure it was too irksome to be ignored while remaining just under the radar. It would be a hard dance to balance, but this is what she'd been training for.

They leave the building through a side door on the first floor, making sure the night guards are all dosing at their posts, and fly back to the hill. "Sleep," Pierce says, climbing down. "I'll keep an ear out for trouble and we can switch off at sunrise."

"Sounds good," she says, giving a yawn. They sit back to back and she lays her head on his shoulder. He does the same and wraps her in wings to keep her warm. "Wake me when they start screaming."

When Pierce shakes Karmen awake, the sun is a gray line on the Eastern horizon. "They're starting to wake up," he says. "We should move in, just in case."

She rubs her eyes sleepily and nods. "Once we get inside, you go ahead and sleep. I'll need you rested tonight."

He climbs onto her back and takes off, carrying them back to the roof as Karmen covers them both in a cloak of haki. They land lightly on the roof and find the door still unlocked. The slaves here must be very well behaved for the guards to have grown so complacent. Over the next few months, she knows, it will never be this easy again. She observes the guards below as they dress, wash, and prepare to eat. On the ground floor, the slaves wait patiently for someone to bring them their breakfast and their single guard rubs his eye sleepily, ready for someone else to take over. Karmen goes inside, ready for the show to begin.

She reaches the breakroom moments before the new guard. "What the hell is this?" he asks, pointing to the gouged letters in the wall.

The young cook shrugs. "I thought it was some practical joke," he says. "It was here when I came in this morning."

The guard turns to one of his coworkers who is on his way to bed. "Darren, did you do this?"

"Aw, come on, Shane, you guys can't go blaming everything on me," Darren says. "Whoever did it got the whole place. It was carved into the wall over the stairs too."

"And you didn't think to report it?"

"Wasn't it one of you?" Darren seems surprised. "Then who…?"

At this point, five other guards had gathered and stare past the pair to look at the clawed message. Shane's eyes narrow. "Search the whole place. Bring me any intruders and make sure all the slaves are accounted for. I want to know where every letter of this writing is."

They disperse with serious faces and Karmen moves with them. Humor turns to fear and they all but forget about the slaves once that fear turns to nervous anger.

Get out. Get out. Get out.

They'd carved it into wood, metal, plaster, pottery, stone, anything that was easily visible or often used. They'd even carved it into the back of a toilet. He'd gouged the letters deep enough that they dripped water and Karmen had added red ink to the tank, making the seeping fluid appear to be blood. Pierce had been especially proud of that one. The fresh shift doesn't seem satisfied when the guard on the first floor tells them that the slaves had remained locked in all night, but when they find the door still sealed and everyone inside still chained with explosive collars on their necks, they relock the door and move on. Karmen grins from her position near the stairs when they find the one in the basement:

Leave Now, or Suffer the Gallowcomb Curse.

"What does it mean, the Gallowcomb curse?" Shane asks.

"Didn't they have a daughter that died a few months ago?" One of the other guards asks. "Maybe someone cursed the family and that's why she died."

"Don't you guys read the newspapers?" Darren growls. "She was killed by an assassin faction the night before her wedding."

A wicked cackle sounds and the basement begins to fill with a mist that seems to freeze the very air. The guards whip around point their rifles in all directions. They can't find anything to shoot.

"Leave by sundown or suffer the curse."

"Darren? What's going on?" Shane asks as they search behind all the barrels and still find no one. All the guards are shivering violently, not entirely from the cold. Ice crystals creep up from floor level and form on their boots and the wine barrels.

Their leader shakes his head. "Someone's trying to mess with us," he says. "We should just report this and get back to work. Keep your eyes open. Shoot anyone you don't recognize. Keep the slaves locked up. No one goes anywhere alone, not even to the bathroom."

They pair off and return upstairs, continuing to chat among themselves as they go.

"If we're keeping all the slaves locked up, then aren't we going to lose money?"

"It's better than a possible riot. If the slaves are somehow involved we have to root it out. We may have guns but there's a lot of them."

"Do you really think it's a curse that killed the girl?"

"Buddy, I don't know nothing. I do my job, I get paid, I go home."

"Why were assassins after her in the first place?"

"Have you ever even met a Gallowcomb or Davenwell?" one of the other guards asks. "They're the kind of people who make a lot of enemies."

"What was with that voice in the basement? And that weird fog?"

"I didn't see or hear anything. You, Aether?"

"Not a thing, and you can't change my mind."

"Think it was a ghost?"

"I'm telling you, there wasn't anything in that basement. It's best if you remember that."

A spectral laugh echoes around the hall.

"Did we not hear that either?"

"Just keep moving."

Darren and Shane quicken their steps and make it to the communications room on the third floor. Darren picks up the receiver and dials his superior's office. It rings only once before the line connects, but no one speaks on the other line. There are only a few pops of static. "This is Blon Darren at outpost number sixty-eight. Something weird's happening down here. Does anyone copy?"

A crackle disrupts the static in the line. "I took his arms to the underworld. There was so much blood on his hands that they could not remain in the world of the living. If you're still here by sundown, I'll take you too."

"Why sundown?"

"I follow the blood trails to see how many hands he shook. How much blood is on your hands? I wonder… Who's smart enough to live?"

A cold chill runs down the guard's backs. Darren tries to keep a brave face but sweat breaks out on his forehead. "Who is this?"

"They planned on killing me. I killed myself first. The assassin just gave me the opportunity."

"Give me a name!"

"I was once known as Gallowcomb Jenevive Willow Karmen," the voice whispers. "I'll take them to the underworld, down into the cold nothingness, along with all who stand under their name." With this, the line goes dead.

Everyone is frozen for a few seconds. Darren tries to make another connection, but nothing goes through. Upon closer inspection, he would have noticed the snail had a small scratch under the lip of its shell, letting it sleep for the rest of the day and cutting any further communication.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Pierce says with a yawn from her shoulder as she detaches her snail from the communications relay and crosses a few wires to ensure no one will be able to reactivate it without a loud explosion.

"Are you kidding?" she asks, flashing him a grin she knows he can't see. "I've wanted to mess with guys like this since I was four. This is like fulfilling a childhood wish."

He chuckles and settles into a tighter ball. "I have to admit. It's pretty satisfying. It almost makes me want to stay awake and keep listening. Almost."


	77. Chapter 77: The Gallowcomb Curse

Pierce sleeps and Karmen lets the guards of the DavenGallow winery complex relax some. When things have been quiet for a few hours, Darren agrees to let the slaves have their breakfast. She follows them down to the locked room and watches as he takes the keys from his belt and unlocks the heavy door. The slaves lift their heads from their resting positions, expecting to be unshackled and given their orders for the day. Instead, they are given their food and taken to the bathroom in small groups. Karmen crouches on a large wine barrel during this process, watching for injuries or illnesses she'd need to take into consideration later. One man stares directly at her when Pierce shuffles his wings in his sleep. The old man's eyes widen and she smiles, holding a finger to her lips. The man seems to think he's losing his mind because he stares at the person in front of him until he's back in the room. When every person had been tended, the dishes are collected and the room locked. The guards go back to their regular duties in pairs with nerves on edge.

Small reports trickled in throughout the day. One guard said he saw a red mist moving up the stairs to the second floor. Another said he saw a woman with horns reflected in a third story window, but when he turned around there was no one there. Several men reported hearing the spectral laugh and intangible whispers in their ear. All guards state that the building had steadily been getting colder, despite the heat of the day. It was like the frost had been creeping up from the basement.

"Has anyone seen Aether?" Shane asks as the sun begins to make its downward arc.

"He walked out," a guard says. "We tried to stop him but it was like he couldn't even hear us, like he was in a trance. The cook boy left too. He passed out dinner and left without saying a word, eyes glazed over."

"A lot of guards left," Darren says. "This will all reflect badly on me when I give my report."

Shane shifts his feet and checks for the third time that hour that his rifle is loaded. "Not that I give any heed to superstitions and curses or any heebie-jeebies like that, but maybe we should go into town. Just for tonight." The three remaining guards with him nod their agreement.

"You could," Darren says, giving a carefree nod. "But what do you think happens when I give my report and our superiors hear of everyone who abandoned their post?" The men feel a sudden chill that is completely unrelated to the quickly dropping temperature. "The best case scenario is getting fired. You've all heard the rumors of what it's like for those who get taken to Galaval." The guards look like cornered animals, forced to choose between a possible and unknown death or labor until they died from exhaustion or worse. An unknown probability was better than what they knew was certain. They would stay.

Karmen almost feels bad for what she will have to do. When the sun has completely disappeared, she reaches back and runs her hand down Pierce's furry cheek. "Get ready," she whispers to him as he yawns in her ear. "We're going to have to scare these ones out."

She snags Darren's keys and makes her way down to the first floor. The guard on the door had long since walked out with the aid of her flexomn toxin. When she unlocks the latch, she reaches back and slides the gas mask back into Pierce's visor. He'd had it on all day to negate the effects of the constant exposure to the algidity grenades, so he seems very confused that she wants him to take it off. "What are you doing?" he asks.

"Negating risk." As she steps inside, she drops a deadbolt grenade. Everyone, including Pierce, is frozen stiff. She saunters in, unfading for those in the room, and gives a friendly smile. "Hello, everyone. I'll let you all move in a minute, but there are still guards in the building so I need all of you to keep from screaming, ok?" She holds up the keys. "I'm going to let you out and take you somewhere safe where the guards and DavenGallow crews can't find you, but you have to stay quiet and do exactly what I say so the guards don't find us until we want them to."

She moves around the room quickly, turning keys in the locks and disposing of chains and exploding collars as she goes. They clink against the floor as they drop and Karmen can feel Pierce's heart flutter in stabs of panic at the sound. The deadbolt ensured that his flesh remained solid where it is and no extra claws sprouted from him. When everyone is released she sets the antidote grenade in the center of the room. "Remember everyone, no noise, or else you may very well end up back in those chains." She releases the pin and the reversing gas fills the room. When everyone can move again Pierce grows a set of wings to blow the remaining mist from the room. One man let out a cry of surprise. One second Karmen is standing in the middle of the room, the next she had her hand clamped over the man's mouth, muffling the sound. Everyone sits deathly still as she scanned the building with her haki. No one is coming. She slowly backs away. "Follow me."

She leads them into the next room where several barrels had been placed with their lids ajar.

"You poisoned me," Pierce says in disbelief, folding his wings tightly in agitation. His voice is too low for anyone besides her to hear.

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because of the way you react to chains. We can't fight guards if there's a random claw sticking in my ribs. We can talk about it later." She places her hand on one of the barrels and turns back to the slaves as he slides the mask back over his face. "Right. I'm going to need all of you to get inside one of these barrels. I am very sorry if any of you are claustrophobic but it will only be for a few minutes, I promise."

Some hesitate while others are too scared to disobey. Seeing as this woman who appears at random and grows demonic wings had just freed them, none of them hesitate too long. Karmen makes sure that all the lids are secured tightly and makes her way back upstairs where the guards are still huddled. "Let's finish this."

Pierce doesn't need a cue from her. He grew an extra pair of wings, unhooked his feet from her waist, and began climbing the wall, cradling her against his body. They crawled along the ceiling, raining plaster down on the guard's heads. With Karmen's haki, the only thing they see when they look up are holes appearing above them. Darren doesn't waste any time pointing his gun to the front of their procession and firing. Silence follows the retort. "Do you think you hit it?"

"You can't kill the dead, dearies."

They turn and see Karmen crouching in the corner, wings throwing her form into shadow. She gives her darkest chuckle as she looks up. She focuses her reverse observation haki on her and Pierce's mouths so that the guards in front of them see Pierce's fangs instead of her expectant grin. With the angle of his head behind hers, it looked like it's Karmen who had the horns. She can tell all of them are regretting their decision to stay. Surprisingly it's Shane who fires the next bullet. Pierce's clawed hand shoot forward and catch it, haki preventing it from penetrating his skin. He holds it up for Karmen to inspect and she smears it with concentrated sunblade so that it glowed hot like hellfire. Pierce throws it back at the guards and it singes Shane's ear as it sails back, burying itself in the wall behind them and smoldering into flame. While they stare at the fire, Karmen pulls a string attached to the last algidity grenade on this floor. Ice explodes up the walls and extinguishes the fire, dropping the temperature to near freezing. Shane drops his rifle and steps back a few paces in terror.

Pierce gives an earth-shattering roar and Karmen synchronizes with him to mirror his movements, arching her back low and spreading her hands like claws. Urine runs down one of the younger guards' legs and he takes off down the stairs, sliding and almost falling on the ice coating the first step. The others aren't far behind him. Only Darren stands his ground.

Karmen lets the haki fade from their faces and smirks. "You should have run." She pushes off the ground and Pierce accelerates their speed with a thrust of his wings. They catch Darren under his arms as he turns to dodge and break through a window at the end of the hall. Glass rains down on the other guards as they fly overhead, insane laughter mixed with terrified screams and otherworldly screeches echo in the night sky. They throw him into the ocean and a six-winged, horned silhouette of a woman blocks out the light of the moon. The remaining guards run and don't look back. They fly high over the facility and Karmen releases a surge of haki over the island and the surrounding ocean. It crackles with invisible energy through the air and those waiting in the water receive her signal loud and clear.

A low rumble emanates from beneath the waves that shakes the whole island. The water recedes from the beach and returns with destructive force as a sea king stingray breaches and falls back into the water. The winery is battered, walls shatter into rubble and water floods the ground floor. Smaller stingrays are carried into the building where they wrap their tails around a barrel each. When the water recedes they go with it, leaving not a soul in the building as it crumbles, destroyed barrels of wine turning the water a deep, bloody purple.

The stingrays keep the barrels under water until they are a mile out to sea. With Kudra's help, it doesn't take much time at all. Her giant fins redirect the currents in their favor and get them to a safe distance as they bob to the surface. Karmen and Pierce fly over them, monitoring them closely to make sure they still contain enough air and haven't sprung any leaks. The rays work to keep the barrels upright and gather them all together in a large bundle between them. Karmen and Pierce fly over to the first barrels and begins prying off the lids one by one in quick order. Despite the ray's best efforts, they are greeted by feet instead of faces in a few barrels, but most of them don't need any assistance climbing out.

"Get on the rays, three in a group. Choose any one you like, they're all friendly," Karmen says. Her voice remains low but is loud enough for all to hear her. "You'll find oxygen tanks waiting for you. Put those on. If you're a power user tie yourself to the harnesses. It's going to get cold, but we'll warm up when we resurface."

The man who had seen her before, an elderly man with a long white mustache and beard, speaks up with a shaky voice as he makes his way to a stingray. "E-excuse me," he says. "Where might we be going?"

Some of the others look shocked that he dare ask a question. Karmen notes this with a frown. They'd been pretty conditioned. She gives them all a pleasant smile. "To freedom." There is such a loud cheer that Karmen has to smother the sound with her haki. Covering such a wide area in such a sudden jolt of power leaves her light-headed, but Pierce adjusts his weight to keep her balanced on her feet.

When the noise dies down the old man speaks up again. "Are you really a ghost?"

A cheeky grin crosses her face and she winks at him. "That I am, dearie. Valentine W. Karmen, at your service: The Vengeful Gallowcomb Ghost."

Pierce's ear twitches against her shoulder. "Mistress."

"Oh. Right." Karmen looks towards the island. "We still have a few minutes. Is anyone not ready?" She scans everyone to make sure their masks are in place and their hands are at least gripping the harnesses. She notes a few who tied themselves down while she makes sure Pierce is secure. "Here we go." She empties the poison cartridges out of her quills and throws the darts into the water. She steps up to Parvati's nose and touches the water with the tip of her index finger, sending a stream of haki straight down. As a single unit the rays dive, the ones on the edges catch the darts she'd thrown in their mouths and return to the perimeter. The sea prism in the metal will help keep sea kings at bay. When they're fifty feet down, Kudra swims to the surface and gathers all the empty barrels in her mouth, completely erasing the evidence that they had ever been there.

It isn't long before a naval ship passes overhead. She can recognize the patterns of sea prism set into the keel. She senses fifty strong, capable marines on board. They seem to be doing a searching pass, perhaps looking for Darren, but if any of them have good observation haki it could mean trouble.

"Par, Raja, I need you to hold onto me," she says. The rays immediately wrap their tails around her wrists and hold her suspended, dragging her along through the water between them. She spreads her reverse observation haki out from herself like a cloak, covering all the rays. They sense what she is doing and gather closer to her so it will take less effort, but keeping the cloak at her highest sustainable level still takes all her concentration. Thankfully she doesn't have to cover Kudra. Granny can take care of herself, as Karmen's aching ribs can attest to.

The effort it takes to cast a cloak over the entire group saps the mobility from Karmen's body. Her limbs go rigid and she can barely move enough to draw air into her lungs. She wonders if this is what it feels like for power users to be submerged in water. No, it's the complete opposite cause that somehow leads to a similar reaction. The rays swim faster and the ship sails off in a different direction. Karmen holds the cloak for as long as she can. She can feel her muscles protesting and her vision is beginning to go dark. When she can no longer sense the ship she lets herself relax. The cold water feels good against her skin, especially since she can't seem to remember how to move her fingers enough to get back to Parvati's back and her vision hasn't improved. Everything looks dark. Her body doesn't want to respond to commands. She can barely register that Parvati lets go of her forearm and wraps her tail around Karmen's waist before Raja releases her.

She must have lost consciousness because she swears she hears a voice on the currents.

 _Karmen._

It's like a ghostly whisper. She can't tell if it's male or female. Every time she tries to focus on it the voice fades away. It's clearest when she lets her mind float in the blackness. It seems so familiar that she has to wonder if her neurons are replaying a memory.

 _Karmen._

Strangely, the voice fills her with reassurance and she finds herself fighting the panic she hadn't realized was even setting in. True, she can't even feel her own body, but she's surrounded by her bond-mate's family and has Pierce on her back. For now, they're safe and protected. She could rest, if just for a little while.

Parvati carries her for the next thirty minutes before the air tanks start running low. As a unit, all the rays rise to the surface. Pierce recovers quickly. He snaps the ribbons holding him to Karmen and climbs off her back as he transforms back into human form. He kneels on Parvati's back and scoops Karmen into his arms, rubbing her hand and patting her cheek. Or at least, she thinks that's what he's doing. She can't exactly feel any of it. Her limbs feel like cold lead and have all the sensory capabilities of dried seaweed. "Hey, are you still with me? Say something," he says. She can breathe just fine, which she finds odd, and she's still able to blink. She watches his ear twitch towards the sound of her lashes scraping together. With that stupid gas-mask visor over his eyes, she can only gauge his expressions from the set of his mouth and the worried tension in his jaw. An idea forms in her mind and she can only hope he remembers Morse code.

F-I-N-E, she blinks.

He gives a small laugh of relief. "You don't seem fine to me, but I'll take your word for it." Her fingers and toes start to tingle, which she takes as a good sign. "What happened?"

U-S-E-D T-O-O M-U-C-H H-A-K-I, R-E-C-O-V-E-R-I-N-G S-L-O-W-L-Y

He sighs and relaxes. "Don't scare me like that. I mean, I know you're supposed to be dead and all, but as your bodyguard, I've got to draw a line." He wraps her in his wings to warm her up. "Leave some of the work to me."

U-N-D-E-R-W-A-T-E-R

He scoffs. "You act like I haven't destroyed a ship before."

If she could laugh she would have. Instead, she tries to use her haki to check on the others. She finds her mind just as numb as her body and is left unsettled.

T-H-E-M

He turns his head to survey the others. "They all managed to hang on, it seems. Their heart rates would suggest they're a little scared, but I don't think this is expected for anyone."

H-O-R-I-Z-O-N

"All clear from above and the rays aren't acting like there's any threat from below." She can now feel the pressure of his wings and hands against her skin without the sensation of warmth. Still, any progress back towards normality is comforting. "I didn't even know you could do that."

M-E E-I-T-H-E-R.

"You said you'd been training your haki," he says, voice so low only she can hear. "Do you think this will happen every time?"

N-E-E-D T-O G-E-T S-T-R-O-N-G-E-R

"And if you destroy yourself in the process?"

U-N-W-O-R-T-H-Y

"Then I'll get stronger too, so I can support you in your times of vulnerability."

B-A-C-K

"Yes, Mistress." He stands, pulling her up with him. His wings support her as he shuffles her around to his back and form under her to create a basket of living leather. Her arms droop listlessly over his shoulders and her head lulls to one side.

"Is she ok?" one of the children asks.

If she could giggle, she would have as Pierce realizes all the freed slaves are looking to him for information. "My Mistress is fine," he says, a little stiffly. "She merely exhausted herself to keep us hidden from the marine ship that passed us by."

"Is she a power user, like you?" the old man asks.

Pierce shakes his head. "No, Karmen uses haki, some of the most powerful I've ever seen."

I-N-T-R-O-D-U-C-E

"Wouldn't you rather do that?" he asks, mumbling the words out of the corner of his mouth. She simply hangs there like a ragdoll. "Right. Sorry." He squares his shoulders and stands up straighter before clearing his throat. "My name is Pierce. I am Valentine W. Karmen's bodyguard and second in command. As you may have noticed, I am a bat-bat man. I was, erm, fed the artificial bat-bat devil fruit: gray bat model." Fur bristles along his shoulders and Karmen finds it comfortable against her cheek. "I generally don't like to be around very many people, but since Karmen is incapacitated at the moment I will try to answer any questions you may have." His voice is so authoritative and rigid that no one speaks up at first.

"Are you a slave too?" a teenage boy asks.

"I am not a slave, and neither are you," Pierce says. "Not anymore."

"Why do you have horns?" a little girl asks.

"It's from eating the artificial devil fruit," he says, producing a second set of wings and wrapping them around himself like a cloak. Several of the children gasp.

"Artificial?" a woman asks.

"Are there any questions that aren't about me?" Pierce rolls his shoulder, making Karmen's head bob slightly. "Get better already, would you?" he whispers.

Part of her likes forcing him into social interactions, while the majority of her brain wants to help him out. As she tries to regain control of her body she realizes that she'd never stopped using her haki. In fact, she was still using massive quantities. Instead of slowly recovering from her earlier use, her body is simply adjusting to her current rate. If she stayed like this she would eventually learn how to control it. And further still, if she pushed herself, she feels she could leave her body and discover far more than she could ever imagine. The unknown calls to her like a siren.

 _Not yet, Child. Go back._

She feels the voice slip away, and with it, her desire to explore this new power. She draws her haki back until she can sense it again and her senses rocket back to painful awareness. "Oh, my head." She slumps deeper against Pierce's shoulder.

"Welcome back," he says, relieved. She isn't sure if it's her sudden recovery or the fact that he doesn't have to answer any more questions alone. "What happened?"

"I think I may have been communing with the dead," she says, rubbing her temple.

"If you're hearing voices, I'm having Dr. Saaresto examine you the second we're back," he says, concern edging his voice.

"Relax and put me down already." He lets his wings lower until her feet are touching Parvati's back. As soon as she feels the sensation, Parvati whips her tail up and raps Karmen sharply across the forehead. The message is clear. Don't scare me like that. "Ow. Understood." She rubs her head as she tries to stand on her own, but collapses. Pierce catches her and wraps a sturdy arm around her waist. "Ok, not completely recovered." She leans against his arm for support and smiles at the watching party. "Hello. Sorry about that. I'll answer all your questions from here on out."

"Absolutely not," Pierce growls. "You're going to sit down and rest." He lets go and she drops roughly onto Parvati's back. He sits behind her, using his back to support her seated position.

"Ok. I'll answer questions later. Wake me up if anything happens or the new air tanks arrive before I get my strength back." She closes her eyes and a different darkness takes her.

* * *

 **AN: Happy New Years! ~KnightNGale020**


	78. Chapter 78: Welcome to Batoidea

Karmen wakes at the first hint of sunrise, when the sky is nearly gray, sensing several forms fast approaching. "They're coming," she says, pushing her way out of Pierce's wings and rising to her feet.

Pierce stretches and cocks his ear to the group of rescued slaves behind them. "Good," he says. "They're hungry."

"Did anything happen while I was asleep?" she asks, shaking out her damp pant leg. The one problem with traveling by ray is that you're never completely dry.

"They were all silent, like the surrounding waters," he reports. "Are you recovered?"

Karmen flexes her arms and legs and turns at the waist, testing for any signs of protest. The nap dispelled the headache, which is a nice change, but she still feels the occasional fluctuation in her haki. "Enough." She turns and looks over the seventy-five people with them. Most of the men had been at the winery for muscle. Some of those barrels could weigh hundreds of pounds. The women and children had mostly been given the task of crushing the incoming grapes, mixing and treating the product before it was sealed, and maintaining the chemical balances inside the barrels. It had been years since she'd had so many eyes on her looking for direction. Their eyes watch her expectantly, waiting.

She gives them all a two-fingered salute and raises her voice so that all of them can hear. "Good morning. Sorry about that. I know that you have questions and concerns and we'll address them all in time. But for now, I have a question for you. Who's hungry?" When she gives a burst of haki, the stingrays that had just arrived surface carrying baskets of fruits and vegetables, barrels of fresh water, and fresh oxygen tanks. She watches the children's eyes light up as they hurry to stand and move towards the food, but all at once their faces contort with fear and they settle back down where they sat. No one else moves towards the food. Instead, they watch and they wait. Karmen sets her hands on her hips. "You don't need my permission. I'm not an overseer and you're no longer slaves. Dig in and have as much as you want." She feels like this might as well have been an order, seeing as they all get up and move towards the baskets when they feel she's done speaking. Still, they eat until they're full and sit around contently, patting their stomachs.

"Are we diving again?" Pierce asks.

"Yes." She turns back to the rescued party. "We're going to go by the same procedure as before. Now that the sun's risen the search parties will be out in earnest. They won't think to check out this far just yet, but they will eventually. Move over to one of the rays that just arrived and tie yourselves down if you need to. We'll be under for at least an hour, maybe more. It will be cold, but I promise you will be safe, even if it were to cost me my life."

"We ain't strangers to empty promises, miss," a woman with red hair says. The color of it makes Karmen pause, reminding her of Nami. With this thought in mind, it takes her a moment to place as the woman as the same one she'd saved from the overseer's whip a day or two prior.

She turns to the woman and looks her straight in the eye. "I've been told enough lies in my lifetime to not wield them lightly. I will not waste one in a situation like this." She turns to address the rest of the group. "We dive in five minutes."

When everyone is ready they dive again. Karmen lets the cold water wash over her face as Parvati swims deeper. Kudra once again takes a protective position above them. Karmen steers Parvati up to her and she traces her fingers across the ray's smooth belly. She gives a call in return that reverberates through the water.

Ships pass overhead and Karmen spreads her haki over their party, using far less than she had the night before. She still loses function in her limbs, but when the ships pass and she reverts her efforts. This time it only takes twenty minutes for her to regain feeling. Still, there are twinges in her consciousness that call her onward. Only the feel of Pierce on her back prevents her from heeding it. The gauges on the oxygen tanks slowly dwindle towards red and empty and eventually they have to surface. The party seems thankful for the warmth and fresh air. Karmen had been unaffected by the change in temperature, but some of the smaller children shiver and huddle together on the rays.

She lets the sun do its work as her head pounds from the effort of using so much haki. "I'll take some questions now," she says, as she reduces her haki use to near nonexistence to see if it helps. Kudra rocks the water beneath them as she moves, circling and rising, causing the ocean to bubble and roil.

"What's that sound?" one of the children asks.

"Just the sea king," Karmen says. Something large breeches behind her, showering her in seawater. Pierce throws up wings to protect them from getting drenched, but the torrent still weakens him for a few seconds. Karmen looks up at the creature looming over her. Wrong sea king. She's not going to tell them that. She silently compliments Parvati for her steadfast fortitude in its presence, or maybe she's just too scared to move. The thing is more than a hundred times her size.

The sea king is a long red fish with twin dorsal fins trailing down its spine and gleaming orange eyes. Its teeth are each twice as long as Karmen and it seems to be grinning down at them, expecting a meal. Behind it in the unnaturally still water, ten more giant sets of eyes peek out, watching, waiting to see if a feeding frenzy will start. It would seem that Parvati had pulled in front of the circle of rays that carry the sea stone darts and had drawn the attention in her hurry to get home. She'd have to remember that for next time.

Karmen stretches leisurely, working out the kinks in her body from her haki paralysis. "Well, we seem to have reached the Calm Belt. It won't be too much longer now."

The old man with the long white beard points a shaky finger up at the fish glaring down at them. "Shouldn't we be concerned about that?"

Karmen observes the closest one again. "Him? He's just a baby. We just need to remind him where his hunting grounds are."

"And you plan to do that… how?" the red-haired woman asks, half-ready to dive into the ocean and swim for it.

"I do believe I made you a promise, dearie. Have a little faith," Karmen says. "To the air, Pierce." Her voice is soft and calm and her guard takes the orders, following her silent direction to rise to meet the fish's eye. She smiles and sits on its nose, patting it gently. "Hello, dearest. I can't let you eat anyone here and you're in our way. Would you mind moving on?" The party behind her stare, mouths gaping. One guy even faints and his ray has to push him further onto her back with her tail.

The sea king roars and throws back its head, tossing them back into the air.

"Is that a no, then?" she asks calmly as Pierce flaps furiously to avoid teeth. "That is rather unfortunate. I'm afraid I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." Pierce has to dive sideways to avoid the next snap of teeth. It roars again, showering them with flecks of saliva and hot breath. "I know you eat fish for a living, but you could use a breath mint. Surely there's something down there."

Pierce dives straight down, then grows a second set of wings to wheel around the sea king's head as it dives after them. "Could you teach that lesson now or are we just going to tease it until it eats us?" he asks.

Karmen glances at him over her shoulder. "Oh? I thought we were having fun. Alright, alright, I'll get serious."

Pierce sighs. "You and fish with teeth." Karmen only smiles.

"Secret secretary technique: Instant tea." When they hover in front of the sea king's face again Karmen is holding a steaming kettle of tea that hadn't been in her hands moments before. She flings the contents in a liquid arc into the fish's mouth. "Flight of the Angel Caapi." She grins as she watches the tea slide down the sea king's throat. "Now we just have to wait for it to take effect. Keep dodging." Pierce has to grow a third set of wings to barrel roll away from the teeth, only to be bashed aside by the giant head. He coats his wings in haki at the last second, but he's still sent flying, and Karmen along with him. She uses her body weight to throw them into a few flips until he can spread his wings again, a few feet above the ocean's surface. Karmen laughs heartily, pouring the last dregs of the tea into a cup and taking a sip.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," he mutters, trying to regain his breath.

"Oh come on," she says. "I've got the best bodyguard in the world. Why should I worry?"

He grunts. "Flattery only gets you so far."

"But it's getting me somewhere."

"How long is it going to take for that to kick in?" The sea king is charging in pursuit, gaining speed to ram them. Water flies off its haunches, sending waves twenty feet in all directions. She's glad they'd drawn it away from the rays. "And where's Kudra?"

"Kudra knows we've got things covered. Besides, she enjoys watching me get slapped around a little bit. If things were serious she'd jump in," she responds. "How much do you trust me over an open ocean?"

"As much as you trust me when jumping off a castle tower," he mutters. He still isn't past her little stunt, and that widens her grin.

"Good. Don't move." Pierce maintains their hover as the sea king bears down on them. When it's a hundred feet away, there's a change in its eyes. They widen and the pupils constrict sharply. Karmen's smile fades as she channels her inner battle-Luffy. She lowers her chin and gives it a sharp glare, sneering distastefully at it. The sea king gives a call of surprise, then reels. It tries to stop swimming, but its tail coils comically and it ends up flipping over its own head in an attempt to stop. When it's able to right itself, it dives and disappears into the still waters. Karmen drinks her Angel Caapi in a single gulp before returning the cup to her bag and resting the kettle against her shoulder. "Right. Which one of you are next?" she asks loudly, cocking her eyebrow at the other ten who seem to be frozen in place. One by one, they lower and disappear into the water, deciding there are easier meals to be found. Karmen nods in satisfaction as her smile returns. "That's what I thought." Pierce lands on Parvati and climbs off Karmen's back. "Alright Parvati Pod!" she calls. "Take us home!" The rays begin swimming forward again and Karmen keeps her haki trained on the water, making sure the sea kings below are keeping to themselves.

"D-did you just fight off a sea king… with tea?" the red-haired woman stammers behind her.

Karmen glances at her over her shoulder. "I'm a pirate secretary," she says. "Tea's kind of a thing for me." She wiggles her teapot in the air. "It's called Angel Caapi. Whoever drinks it has terrifying hallucinations. It comes in handy."

"Didn't you just drink a cup?" she asks.

"You're a pirate?" the old man asks at the same time.

"Yeah. That's a long story. I'll tell it at dinner."

They keep going in silence for the next ten minutes. Karmen gets the sense that the rescued slaves don't quite know what to make of her. She doesn't know what to tell them exactly, so she keeps quiet as well. Still, some of them seem nervous, either about her or passing through the Calm Belt, or both. They still have an hour or two before reaching Batoidea and she feels she should fill the span with something. "How about a song to calm the children?" Pierce whispers in her ear, seeming to be thinking along the same lines.

"What a great idea!" She clears her throat and chooses a song she often heard the merchants sing when she was a child.

"Whom is the sea a friend to? / Be it the King, The merchant, or the knave? / Whom will she turn a blind eye to when it comes to the watery grave? / When it comes to the watery grave."

She's about to go into the verses about drowning and being eaten alive when Pierce nudges her. "Um… Perhaps you should skip the next two stanzas." She glances over at the wide-eyed children and feels he may be right. She'd never thought about it before, but the song could be frightening to those who weren't always surrounded by death and the ocean. She skips to the peppy stanzas.

"The sea is a friend to the captain / 'Long as mutual respect remains / And on her shores the hungry man / Can always stave his pangs.

The sea is a friend to the dolphin / To the crabs, scuttling down below / The sea is a friend to the Fishman race / Who carry heavy loads.

The sea is a friend to the sailor, / To him, she's always home / But the sea's not a friend to the lonely maid / Who's waiting home alone."

She glances over again and sees that their demeanor hasn't changed much. She thinks about telling them a fairytale, but remembers Zoro's reaction and feels that would go over like a ship on fire. How would her crew handle the situation? Brook's image immediately came to mind and she begins an upbeat chorus of "yo-hohoho's".

"Going to deliver Binks' Sake / Following the sea breeze. Riding on the waves. / Far across the salty depths. The merry evening sun. / The birds sing as they draw circles in the sky."

By the end of the song, the children are clapping along and dancing in circles on the backs of the stingrays. When the song ended they all collapsed in fits of giggles. The adults look calmer too. The old man pipes up, starting off a song about the joys of home. Many of the rescued slaves join in. Karmen gets the sense that they would sing this late at night when spirits were low and bodies were aching. She wonders how many of them actually remember a life like that and how many can return.

Hopefully the Sun pirates would continue to welcome a few unscheduled deliveries. They'd been surprised by her first visit with the Valcour slaves. Some of the crew had been hesitant to take them, but the captain, Aladine, the goatsbeard brotula merman, was in charge of the ship at the time. Karmen remembered Jinbe describing him as a doctor and an escaped slave. Shakky had slid her some pro bono information in addition, saying that he is the recent but loving husband to Charlotte Praline. Had they been married at the time, Karmen may not have ever looked to them for aid. Because of his recent connection to the Big Mom Pirates, she's glad she'd kept her veil on during the interaction. She'd initially worn it because they were fishmen and she's still best known for being the daughter of a World Noble. She needn't have worried. He'd seen the desperate state she was in and could do nothing for Pierce's broken and dying form, so he'd relieved her of the added responsibility. This had let her focus her attention on Pierce and perhaps had let them reach Law in time to save his life. She'd stood there on Parvati's back, looking up at him. She promised him that, whether through Jinbe's alliance with Luffy, or on her own, she would one day find a way to repay him for his kindness. He'd seemed surprised by her connections, but she'd been in too big of a hurry to explain. Maybe she'd tell him who she was when she went by to negotiate with him. The Big Mom issue still worries her, but it is something that can be addressed when the moment comes.

They keep singing until the rays that no one is riding dive and breach ten feet into the air. These calls are answered by a hoard of rays two hundred feet off. Several swim up to Parvati and graze her gently, jostling Karmen. She laughs and balances with ease, despite Par nearly capsizing at one point.

"Do you command these rays?" the red-haired woman asks.

Karmen shakes her head. "Not in the slightest," she responds. "They do as they please. It just so happens that they wish to give us aid as support of my bond with Parvati. Many of them are her children and the rest follow Kudra." The sea king surfaces a ways away, still sending rolling waves their direction, causing them all to bob like floats. Kudra had surfaced under several of her grandchildren which now roll off her back, sliding back into the water. They seem to enjoy this and leap back onto her fins to slide again. Karmen watches this with a pleased expression. She wonders if Chopper and Usopp would enjoy sliding across her back as much as they do sliding down onto the lawn on _Sunny._ She wonders how they're doing, if they're getting enough to eat, if they ended up somewhere where they aren't terrified for their lives on a daily basis. They'd be working hard. She wonders if she'll be able to keep up. They'd grown so much in the time they'd been out to sea. Maybe she's made more growth than she feels.

For now, she'll help those under her care to grow, and maybe, eventually, to sleep well at night. She holds her hand up to the approaching landmass on the horizon. "Welcome to Batoidea Island, our own personal underworld." The rays swim to the shoreline and the large group climbs onto the beach hesitantly. Beneath the cliffs there isn't much room to stand and no one seems to have noticed the entrance to the cliffs. The camo-morphic Venus flytraps lift their heads in greeting and Karmen strokes them as they walk towards it. Kudra spits the empty barrels from their escape onto the beach and Pierce begins lining them along the cliff so they don't wash away.

Winston steps past the hanging ivy out onto the beach and gets straight down to business. "The entrance is here. Please keep that in mind as you explore the island. You may have noticed the sentient flytraps. If you get lost they will help you. I am Rivera Winston. I will be pleased to get to know you all after you've settled in. Once inside we'll get you fresh clothing and a hot meal. We have a doctor here who will attend your physical needs and we have adequate space for everyone to get some rest once all the formalities have been attended to."

Karmen and Pierce lead them all into the entrance chamber as Winston heads up the rear. They marvel at the bioluminescent lichen that Camilla had so carefully trained into spiraling patterns across the ceiling. Lizards and beetles scampered deeper into the tunnels at their approach and she sensed two familiar presences further in the tunnel system.

"There is one important matter to attend to before we do anything else," Karmen says, holding her hands out to two nearby tunnels. "Bathrooms. Women on the left, men on the right." They divide themselves eagerly and step past her into the tunnels. Spending a day out on the ocean was not easy on one's bladder, but she suspects some of them had relieved themselves while traveling. She hadn't tested for warmer waters to find out.

When everyone has returned, looking much more comfortable despite their still damp clothing, Karmen begins mapping out their temporary home. "Batoidea has twelve explored levels. Some of the tunnels are a little steep, so we've placed guide ropes to help you keep from sliding. We're working on lighting all the caverns, but bioluminescent lichen only grows so fast. If a cavern doesn't glow and you don't have a light, it's safest not to enter it. This is a cave and there are snakes and spiders and things that might bite. If you get bitten, try to get a good look at what it was and we'll treat you accordingly. If you get lost, hit a rock against the wall until someone comes to find you. I assure you, you will be found quickly.

"Past the twelfth level, there is sulfur dioxide gas. It is very poisonous, smelly, and will kill you. It's denser than normal air, so it stays down there and you'll be safe as long as you don't walk directly into it.

"On the first level there is the intake room, that's this one just through here," she waves to an opening in the wall behind her, "the gardens, and the ocean entrance, on the second level there are the therapy rooms, we have and the dining hall/kitchen. The third level has what I'm trying to turn into the library, Winston's workroom, the medical ward, and a room that might be an armory at some point. The fourth level has my workroom and the training room, and the start of the unlit caverns. The fifth level is the general living quarters. If you need your own room for any reason, let us know and we'll try to accommodate you. The sixth level is the war room (that's off limits to everyone except us officers), and the record's room, which will be locked at all times. The seventh floor has the Whisht room and the more advanced therapy rooms. The eighth floor cistern is my personal training room. If I am in there, I would like to be left alone unless it is an emergency. The ninth and tenth levels hold our main cisterns. While they are mostly clear, you should always boil the water before drinking it, in fact, you should probably only drink from the water barrels in the pantry. The eleventh level has a big ravine that we can break things in at some point. We will eventually put a fence in so it's harder to slip into it. It's best avoided for the time being. The twelfth level is being used to grow more glowing lichen and is mainly dark chambers. Like I said, after that, it's too dangerous to traverse unless you're properly equipped."

When she's finished, Winston waves them into the next chamber. "If you will all follow me, I will give you fresh clothing and you may return to the bathrooms to bathe and change. Afterward, my colleague Dr. Saaresto would like to examine you all for any injuries and address any medical concerns you may have." Dr. Saaresto steps into the room and gives a small wave.

"What happened to his face?" she hears one of the children whisper.

Karmen leans in and whispers back. "That man stood up to a World Noble to protect a young girl several years ago, and walked away with only that scar on his face." The children, and a few adults who'd heard, gape in amazement. They'd heard tales of World Nobles, though it was likely that none of them had met one themselves. Walking away after opposing one is not something many do. In their mind, and in hers, the man is a hero.

She moves behind a waist-high stone slab where Winston had laid out clothing according to size. Pierce slides on a long-sleeved shirt and starts bringing the empty barrels inside, present, but helping in other ways. He doesn't say it, but Karmen knows that he's uncomfortable attempting to dress people with his blindness. She'd seen him in the workshop in the weeks before. He'd run his hands along the many outfits they'd stored, trying to gauge size and color and cut. He'd held up a coral orange shirt and a pair of violet pants and lime green socks. Winston had quickly stepped in and given him a matching set of clothing that would fit him and not blind passerby's. With a little assistance, he wouldn't do so badly here, but he lets the seeing officers handle things for today. They make quick work of everyone, making sure they like the clothing they're presented with and Winston asks if they'd like anything made for them. Karmen wonders if she'll ever not expect their surprise at having things offered to them, at them having a choice in their lives and a freedom to use their own voices. She wonders if she will ever not expect a fear response from those who have known more days as a prisoner than they have in freedom, of people expecting the shackles and exploding collars to return at any moment. She's sad for them, but that's exactly why she'd brought them here. They can help these people.

She waits around and helps with the intake, making sure all the new patients are ready to go take baths and have their medical workups. She can sense Camilla near the tunnel entrance to her right, but can't see her through the crowd of people. She does, however, sense and soon after, see the trowel thrown at her head. Some of the new arrivals duck, expecting an attack on them, looking for signs of danger. Pierce turns in Karmen's direction as it flies towards her temple, but she catches it unflinchingly, without even turning her head. The wood of the handle is warm, as if Camilla had been gripping it while waiting for a moment to get her attention. There's a note tied to the end, dangling from a string. Karmen tears it free and unfolds it, finding a message scrawled in ancient Elbafian:

 _I need to talk to you about Tuna when you have a minute._

Karmen makes sure Winston and Saaresto have things covered and the new arrivals are calmed before darting after the girl. She catches up and returns the trowel. "We're going to have to get you some throwing knives. You're pretty good," she says, noting that Camilla looks calm. "Is he ok?"

-He's fine- she signs. –This way.-

Before she can follow the girl, Pierce grabs her from behind by the sides of her arms. "Oh no you don't." She lets out a little "eep" of surprise. She hadn't been watching him and thought he was still working on the barrels. He lifts her off the ground, spins, and sets her in front of Dr. Saaresto. "I've got your first patient, right here." His words are laid out in a firm tone that few would question, causing the doctor to pause. Still, he seems taken back by Pierce's forcefulness even though Karmen appears to be as healthy as when she left. "She was having auditory hallucinations on the way back."

She'd been hoping to avoid this. "So I thought I heard someone talking to me for a few seconds."

Saaresto fixes her with a serious look. "You were hearing voices?"

She shrugs him off, a difficult task around Pierce's hands. "I used too much haki and started hallucinating. No big deal. I'm feeling much better."

Pierce forces her to sit on one of the empty barrels and Saaresto shines a flashlight in her eyes. "Pupil reaction normal, no signs of a brain bleed." She could have told him that. "Any headaches or loss of equilibrium?"

"Not since my nap," she answers, waving him away from her face and pulling her arms loose. "I told you, I'm fine. If there was anything wrong with me, I'd tell you."

"You don't feel any lasting effects from your experience?" he asks to confirm.

"I feel perfectly healthy." She isn't about to tell him that she can still feel that expanse at the edge of her mind, feel the pull of something beyond. She hadn't heard the voice since, nor had she felt any more otherly presences in her mind, but she isn't sure if the conclusion she'd come to is entirely accurate. If it hadn't been a hallucination, then what? And if it had, what part of her mind had been trying to communicate? She still can't shake the feeling that the voice belonged to someone she'd met before. One thing's for sure, she'll have to get a handle on this before she goes on the next mission. It's distracting, and that's something she can't afford.

"I think she needs more rest," Pierce asserts.

"And where better to rest than here on our own island?" Karmen slides off the barrel. "Listen. I'll keep an eye on my health and if it happens again, you two will be the first to know." She moves around Pierce to get back over to the tunnel entrance. "Now if you don't mind, Vishtunalli requires my attention."

Camilla doesn't even raise her eyebrow. She just tucks her trowel into a pocket in her cloak and waves. -Follow me, before things get crowded.-

"Sorry about the wait," Karmen says. "He's being persistent in this."

She doesn't respond. To Karmen's surprise, the girl leads her to Saaresto's examination room. And there's Tuna, looking happy and healthy, with one of his leaves held under a microscope. He waves his free filaments at her and grins. -Take a look.-

Curiosity fills her stomach and she leans over the microscope, setting her face against the eyepiece. She's expecting to see the brick-like structure of plant cells, perhaps a few variations with him being an ancient species, but the cells she sees are round. "Oh." She sits back and stares at Tuna. "Oh." She looks back into the microscope. Instead of plant cells in the small circle of light, there are animal cells, fluid and changing from their high level of chromatophores. They're unlike any cell structures that she's ever seen, which might explain how he was able to survive in the mouth of a volcano, but the similarities between him and a more common species is undeniable. "You're a cephalopod." Vishtunalli is some kind of prehistoric squid, one that obviously does not need constant moisture to survive. She looks up at him again and indicates to where his root-like tentacles are buried in the dirt. "May I?" He pulls them free and holds a pair out like a child asking to be picked up. She lifts him out of the pot and sees a small clicking beak in the center of his lower body. It is brown and earthy for a few seconds, then it turned a light yellow to match the green that traveled down his pseudo roots. She looks at Camilla. "Have you ever heard of a two-headed squid before?"

"No." She shakes her head. "Not one that's natural, anyway." She moves in to inspect Tuna over Karmen's shoulder. "I can see why they adapted over time. Feeding two heads must be difficult to maintain."

Karmen runs her hand over the flytrap shaped head. "Tuna and his relatives seem to be handling just fine." She watches as he changes color to match her skin tone.

"Should we name his species, like we've been doing with the plants?" Camilla asks. "I think we have the leeway."

Tuna's head swivels his head between them expectantly. "What do you think, Vishtunalli," she asks him. "Would you like us to name your species?" He nods vigorously.

"You do it," Camilla says. "He's your squid. I'm more of the cool neighbor."

Karmen chuckles and leans back thoughtfully. "What about the Flytrap Squid. It's simple and easy to identify." Tuna rubs his head against Karmen's until she laughs and pushes him away gently. "I'm glad you like it." He nips at her bangs and changed to a dark brown color. His leaves curl and bounce as he bobs around. She pats him again and turns to Camilla. "How did you find out?"

The girl shrugs. "I was trying to figure out how to best take care of them and wanted to take a closer look before discussing nutrients. Plus I was hoping I'd get in Saaresto's way and push his buttons a little. Tuna volunteered to be my partner in crime."

"Not that I approve of your reasons, but I'm glad you did," she says. She gives the squid in her hands her attention again. "What do you think?" she asks. "Should we go tell Pierce?" He grins at her and climbs onto her shoulder, wrapping his tentacles down her arm to keep himself stabilized. They continue to talk as they head back up the tunnels. "Tuna either has two stomachs or one stomach that joins in the middle. From what we've seen already, we can assume the top head is able to digest produce while the lower beak is for consuming meat." She looks at the flytrap squid. "Is this accurate?" He nods. "How many stomachs do you have?" He makes a motion with his leaves that looks like a shrug. "Those aren't leaves, are they?" He shakes his head. "Frills or fins?" Shrug. "We'll call them fins." Grin. "This is fun." Nod.

Camilla chuckles. "You talk to fish more than I talk to plants." She rubs Tuna's upper head. "You're a cool squid." Tuna curls his head into her hand like a cat before resting it on top of Karmen's. "I think he's happy you're back too." Squished nod.

"What's going on here?" Pierce asks when they step back into the intake chamber.

"So, it turns out that Tuna is a squid," she tells him. When Pierce reaches out to touch his tentacles, Tuna closes his mouth gently around his hand. He turns black and his fins are instantly shaped like bat wings. He flaps them happily and sways in a little dance. "I think that's a hello." Nod.

Pierce runs his hand down Tuna to get a good look at the animal. "Mistress, your aptitude for collecting strange beings is impressive."

She chuckles. "Wait until you meet Luffy. No one else could get a cyborg, a talking reindeer, and a living skeleton on the same boat. The man has a talent." She leans her head against Tuna. "What do you say? In two years, do you want to come with me to meet my captain?" Vigorous nod. "Good. I'd miss you if you stayed here." Snuggle. "Why don't you hang out with Pierce for a little while. Camilla and I have some work we need to do."

The girl perks up. –We do?-

"Don't think I'm going to be training alone."

She falters. –I would never. I was just surprised that-

"You need to rest," Pierce counters.

She rolls her eyes. "It's not like we're going to run laps." Karmen passes Tuna off to Pierce and grabs Camilla's hand, dragging her down to the lower tunnels. "Come on," she says. "We're going to go meditate."

Karmen pulls her down into a quiet cavern. They wordlessly seat themselves comfortably on the ground with their legs crossed and their hands resting on their knees. They close their eyes and breathe deeply. Camilla doesn't ask what they're doing or what they should be meditating on. She's more perceptive than the men and had heard what Pierce said to Saaresto. She knows something's off with Karmen. She's wanted there in case anything goes wrong. She doesn't know what could possibly happen from using too much haki, but she's honored to have been the one chosen. If Karmen desires her quiet companionship, she's all too happy to oblige. Thirty minutes pass, then an hour, then two, then three.

Despite Karmen's efforts to connect with the otherness that she'd felt the previous night, it continues to elude her grasp. No matter how far she expands her mind or her perception, nothing returns with her. It's like trying to carry a handful of sand off the ocean floor. She may grasp it initially in the deep, but by the time she's risen to the surface with it to investigate it, all that remains is a thin layer of silt.

Karmen sighs and rubs her eyes. Camilla seems to have fallen asleep. Pierce is sitting outside alone in the tunnel, dozing in front of two plates of food. She can smell it. Bread, cheese, jerky, fresh vegetables, and apple slices. She wonders how long he'd been waiting patiently to give them their lunch. She gets up and places a hand on Pierce's shoulder, shushing him softly as he turns his ear to her. She picks up one of the plates and places it in front of Camilla for when she wakes. When she returns to the tunnel Pierce is standing, holding the other out for her. She takes it and eats as they begin walking towards the upper levels.

"Tuna's back down in your chambers with Sherryl," he informs her as she chews a mouthful of jerky and cheese. "Should he be in the ocean?"

"I don't think his species requires sea water, and if they did he would have told us."

"And you, Mistress? Are you feeling better?"

She swallows and shrugs. "Inconclusive," she responds. "I can feel my haki reaching a new level, but I don't know how to access it yet. I don't want to use powers I don't understand in the field lest I become an inconvenience, especially to you. It's frustrating and I don't think meditating is the way to figure this out."

"It's only been three hours." Even without eyes, she can feel his skeptical glance.

"And I've made absolutely no progress. I'm not even mentally drained."

"Were you using a lot of haki that entire time?" he asks.

She gives a small giggle. "I'm glad your armament haki is better than your observation. I was using tons."

"Yeah, to a blind guy you might as well have been as asleep as Camilla."

Karmen snorts and tries to keep the apple slice in her mouth while she chews and laughs at the same time. "Keep guarding, bat-boy. You have other senses to put to use."

"Speaking of skills, your time as a secretary is about to come in handy."

Karmen puts a leek back on the plate. "Winston and Saaresto are already finished assigning clothing, food, beds, _and_ medical checks?"

"Just about," he says. "We've got everything set up for you upstairs."

Karmen hums around a mouthful of bread. "You're the best."

He leads her into one of the entry chambers and she sits down at the designated desk, running her hands over the smooth, lightly stained surface. "Is this the desk from my room?"

"It is," Pierce responds. "I spent an hour carrying it through the tunnels. We really need to invest in weights other than rocks and boulders."

Faint remembrances of Zoro trickle into her mind. She believes he once mentioned using boulders to train as a child. She has an inkling Pierce wouldn't appreciate being compared to another man, so she keeps past conversations to herself. "I'll bear that in mind," she says instead. She removes a quill and a vial of ink from the lap drawer and a stack of paper from the top right. She puts them in an orderly fashion and lays her hands on the surface of the desk. "I'm ready."

Pierce cups his hands around his mouth. "Send them in."

Winston steps in from the connecting tunnel, guiding the children in. Karmen smiles at them. "Hello," she says. "Are we all settling in alright?"

There is a general chorus of "yes" and "very well" and "thank you for the clothes." One girl pipes up with "Miss, Lady, did you shrink when you died?"

Pierce and Winston stifle laughs and Karmen has to work to keep her smile from thinning. "Is that what you think happens to people when they die?" she asks gently. "That they shrink?"

"You look alive to me," a boy pipes in. "I don't think you're really dead."

She winks at Winston and rests her chin on the back of her hands. "Is that so?" This seems to have been a topic of great discussion amongst the rescuees. She lets her smile widen and she uses her reverse observation haki to disappear in an instant. Before the group of children can react to what they'd just seen she reappears in their midst. "Boo." Some jump, some squeal, and others look on in amazement like Luffy and Chopper sometimes do. She laughs at their reactions and ruffles a few heads. "That's never going to get old." She walks back to her desk and rests her chin on her hands again. "I'm not really dead," she admits. "I faked my death so that it would be harder for bad people to find me. I use haki to disappear. You could do it too if you train really hard." She almost says "work," but she feels there are a few phrases and words that should be omitted from their vocabulary for a short period of time. Deciding to get to work herself, she flips a quill into the air and catches it with a flourish before it can hit the desk. "Down to business, then. I'm sure you all want to get back to your families. If you can, one at a time, please give me your full name, your home island, and where you lived."

The process is long and slow and convoluted. Some of their families were killed during their capture or died soon after, others didn't have families to begin with. Some were born into slavery while others had been slaves so long they only remember vague details of who and where they came from. Some lie outright for fear that she'll use the information against them somehow. Their rising heart rates flag her haki and Pierce's ears. Karmen makes special note of these and decides to make sure Saaresto gives them special attention during their therapy sessions. Out of the twenty children they had rescued, only ten have a definite home and family to return to. The adults are a little easier. Even if they have no family to return to, they are self-reliant and at least have a vague destination in mind. Karmen goes a step further with them and asks what skills they possess and if they'll be willing to contribute around the island until transport to their home island can be arranged. If they do not wish to contribute, she asks if their skill or talent could be taught to one of the officers so that they can make use of it themselves. She heavily emphasizes that they are by no means required to do this, only that there are a lot of people on the island and it will be a good way to pass the time.

After they've been processed, Karmen releases them to relax for the rest of the day, making sure they know when the next scheduled meal is. Being rescued is an exhausting and stressful occasion and they can use the relaxation. Some of them simply stare at her unbelieving. After a few seconds, she'll glance back up and say it again. They still look like she's trying to trick them. "Really, you can explore, go get more food, take a nap, whatever you feel like," she says. Eventually they wander off and in the end she's left with Pierce, Winston, and a pile of papers. She rifles through them and begins making lists of people who came from similar areas. She frowns as she works. "We need maps. The rays aren't going to know half these names."

"And where would you suggest getting these maps?" Winston almost looks like he regrets asking.

"Navy ships and bases carry them, don't they? We'll just borrow some of theirs," she says, wishing Nami were there to join her. The navigator would love the challenge, after she smacked Karmen over the head for even suggesting the feat. They could get into so much trouble together. Robin would join in too. Her quiet researching nature would make quick work of marine security and filing systems. No one can deny their stylish battle prowess.

"Mistress," Pierce's voice is soft with concern. "You're heart rate's changed. Is everything alright?"

She gives her stack of papers a nostalgic smile. "I was just thinking of my roommates from the crew and how they'd love the chance to pull one over on marines."

He steps over and kneels like a knight beside her chair. "I may still be finding my strengths, but I hope my skill may be of aid to your cause, Mistress," he says. "I know I am not a member of your crew, but I hope to make it more bearable for you." The eloquence of his words rival Sanji's poetic nature.

She places a hand on his head, between his horns, like Kuma would have. "Of course you do," she replies. "No one could replace you, as a friend or a companion." Her tone changes to a jest. "I just hope you're willing to shield me in the presence of fishmen right after we storm the marines."

Pierce's gleaming composure falters. "What?"


	79. Chapter 79: Help and Hiding Part 1

The first dinner with the rescued slaves is interesting. While Karmen had promised to tell her story, within reason, and answer questions, she found herself bombarded with so many questions that she could hardly take a bite. It gets to the point that Camilla slams her fork down and yells, "Do you know how few hot meals Karmen gets?!" Everyone is shocked by her outburst, especially the new arrivals, since none of them heard her speak before and thought her incapable.

"T-thank you, Camilla," Karmen says in response, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder to guide her back into her chair. She only pulls her hood lower over her face and continues eating with a frustrated fever.

Her outburst had the desired effect and the room quiets. Karmen eats her food quickly and refills her drink. When she's ready she starts talking. She isn't sure how much is safe to tell them. They'll be returning to the outside world eventually and they'll want to tell their loved ones how they were saved. She starts out by simply saying, "I was stolen from my parents when I was very young and was raised as a prisoner in the house of a World Noble family." She says that she was able to make powerful allies, compete in fish riding races, and trained her haki to help her hide. She talks about the wedding, of how Pierce was shot, and how she'd been hidden where she would be safe. She talks about meeting Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp and how they'd developed the crew traveling the Grand Line, and how that had eventually put her back in the position to rescue Pierce. She glazes over the details of finding him, but no matter how much he tried to cover up, he still had several scars showing. They could use their imagination. She talks about how she plans to take down the DavenGallow empire and her plans to rescue as many as she can.

"I know you're all eager to get home," she tells them. "There are a few things we'll need to ensure first." She holds up her fingers as she lists them off. "First of all, I want to make sure that everyone heals from their wounds and can travel comfortably. Second, I want to make sure you all can defend yourselves, at least a little. Training begins in the morning. Third, I want to make sure you're mentally stable enough to return to a normal life. We all have our struggles, but we want to give you all the aid we can. And finally," her voice grows grave on this one. "Many of you have the hoof print of the Celestial Dragon branded on your backs. If we do nothing about this, you will eventually be found and returned to the lives you have just left." There is a round of grave silence. They all know it's true. "There are methods of hiding it. The Fishman pirates brand over this mark with a sun symbol. I was thinking of something similar. If you want, I'll tattoo a stingray over the mark. It will be a long and painful process, but it will help protect you for the rest of your life. The only problem is that in order to return you to your homes and complete what I need, I will often be off the island for several days at a time. I will tattoo as many people as I can outside of my regular training and responsibilities."

She then opens the floor up to questions, knowing they'll probably have several. "What if we choose to stay here?" someone asks.

"Then you are free to do so," she responds. "You can choose if you would like to assist us, as Camilla has in the gardens, or you can focus solely on your recovery. If you show a gift for battle, you may eventually have the opportunity to assist us on further rescue missions."

"You expect us to fight them?" Iona, the red-headed woman from before, asks.

"I _expect_ you to survive," she answers firmly. "How you choose to do so is up to you. I will give you every resource possible, but you have to be willing to fight for yourself, or it will all go to waste."

"You said you'll be leaving the island often," Bhoden, the bearded old man, says. "What will you be doing?"

Karmen nods. "I'll be scouting out the places where I will eventually take you when you leave Batoidea to make sure you're safe. I'll be meeting with allies who will help get you home when I cannot. I will be stealing from marines and nobles to get what we require, and I will be making sure each and every one of you has enough money to start a new life," she says. "Afterward, I'll go and find more like you, people I can help, and bring them here." She takes a slow sip of her drink. "I admit, I also have a personal agenda, but I will not let that get in the way of your safety."

What do you have to do?" one of the children asks.

Karmen puts her drink down and looks into it. "There are people who helped my crew escape the marines and there is information I need to gather for when I reunite with my friends."

"Are you really going to fight the world government?" another asks.

Karmen gives them a steady look. "I rescued you from a facility owned by a Celestial Dragon and my captain won't let anything get in his way. Not again. When I've finished my work here I will be at his side, no matter the enemy."

"How can you say that so calmly?"

She shrugs. "I grew up around Celestial Dragons and know how they function. The only frightening thing about that sniveling lot is their protection detail. They would watch the world burn to protect what's in the heads of those people. I've no doubt we'll be the ones to start a few of those fires."

"You'd cause anarchy to stop them?"

Karmen resists the urge to stab her fork into the table for emphasis. "I spent my entire childhood watching people like you suffer and die for the simple crime of existing. I have watched friends and allies suffer for no cause of their own. I have watched people who were powerless give everything to protect what they had. I hope to prevent these things from happening. I've no illusion that I can do it all by myself, but I'm not the only one fighting. I will do what I can and trust others to do the same. The world needs to change. I just happen to be starting here with you."

"You sound like a Revolutionary."

She dips her head to the side in consideration. "Perhaps I do. One of my closest allies was one. Pierce's parents were, and my captain is the son of their leader. We may not fight under the same flag, but we cannot doubt we are a product of our births."

"Were your real parents Revolutionaries too?"

Karmen gives the wood rings of the table a half-smile. "When I meet them, I'll be sure to ask."

Another child speaks in a soft, frightened voice. "Do you think your mommy and daddy will remember you?" Karmen can hear the unasked question in her voice: Do you think ours will remember us?

Her heart aches for the girl. "Of course. Parents never forget their children. That's part of their job. I know each and every one of them will be so happy to see you again." She leans across the table. "And if not, then they're trash not worthy of you, because you're all wonderful people. No matter what happens and where you go, you will always have a place here."

"If we can't leave until you say so, how is it any different from where we were?" Iona asks.

Karmen raises her eyebrow. "If you can cross the Calm Belt without my help, you're welcome to try. Would you like to go back?" She doesn't answer. "I understand that some of you may be impatient. All I can ask is that you trust that I have your best interests in mind."

Winston clears his throat. "You've had a long day. Why don't we all get some rest?"

Karmen stands and begins gathering empty plates. "That sounds like a good idea."

Bhoden cocks his head at her. "You do the dishes here?"

She shrugs. "Someone has to. It might as well be me."

He begins gathering empty cups. "I'll help."

"Me too." A woman down at the end of the table begins gathering silverware. In a few minutes, there are five people offering to wash and nearly everyone else carrying their plates into the kitchen. After a little traffic jam in the kitchen, they settled on three people washing, Karmen included, five people drying, and four people putting things away. A few others begin wiping tables and sweeping floors and in thirty minutes the entire dining area is spotless.

Winston leans against the kitchen entrance as they begin filing down to bed, led by Pierce and Saaresto. "I think we might actually be able to pull this off."

"It might be a month or longer before any of them leave the island," she says. "Do you think they'll be upset with me for it?"

He considers. "Maybe at first, but they won't stay that way," he answers. "What you've begun here is better than anything most of these people have ever known. You'll have people begging you to visit them."

She gives a soft laugh. "You and Saaresto included? It seems I may spend more time off island than on."

He puts a hand on her shoulder. "If missing you while you are away is the only thing I'll have to worry about, then I'll consider myself a lucky man," he says. "You should get some rest too." He takes his leave and she watches his back until he turns the corner and is out of sight.

Though she is tired, Karmen doesn't feel like sleeping once she's eye to eye with her bed. Instead, she ferries Sherryl into her hair and picks up Tuna's pot. "If you're a squid, why do you like to be planted?" she asks. He simply grins. She carries him outside to the beach. They watch the rays hunt and play in the shallows. "How has Camilla been?" she asks. The squid wobbles his head back and forth in a wishy-washy motion. "Has she improved in her fighting?" Wishy-washy. "And her mood?" Blatant shake of the head. "I figured as much." He dips his head down into the shallows. When he comes in contact with the sea water he turns a fishy pink color. Even in the tones that she would expect from a squid, he doesn't look like one. "You're extra special, you know that?" Grin.

She looks up at the stars, wondering where everyone else is, if they're alright, if they've gotten stronger yet. She wonders about Kuma and if any part of him remains beneath all the metal they've surely added to his body. She wonders if he'll ever be able to tell her about her real parents, who and where they are. Lastly, she thinks about everything she's set before herself and wonders if she has the strength to pull it off. Tuna leans down until his face is level with hers, watching her closely, then he moves forward and nuzzles Sherryl. The spider raises her front two legs and bats at him and he smiles back at her. He comes in contact with her again, then turns his face pointedly at Karmen.

"You want to help me with my toxins?" He nods vigorously. She chuckles. "I can't say I haven't been wanting to see what you're capable of, but I won't do anything you aren't comfortable with." He tucks his face beneath her chin and prods her shoulder. "Alright then. Just tell me if anything is too much for you, alright?" He prods impatiently. "Ok. We'll go now."

She picks him up and they return inside. It's a little more difficult carrying Tuna down the tunnels than it is up. He isn't quite as good at counterbalancing as Pierce is and she can only thank her dancing-acquired gracefulness for not slipping on the slick rocks. She manages to make it to her workroom and unlocks the door. She sets Tuna by her desk and lights a lantern, illuminating her sparse shelves. She sighs at the meager amounts and takes a few minutes to milk Sherryl.

She takes the venom, a rosy drop at the end of a pin, and spreads it inside Tuna's mouth, observing him closely with her haki. Instantly he turns red with black specks. She feels the toxin spread through his mouth. Tiny organs in his skin absorb and pass the venom into the needle-like spines along his mouth. His green spines fall out and are replaced by black ones. It is an effective way of expelling a contaminate from one's body. If she had hollow teeth herself, she would want to replicate it.

Karmen holds her hands out and he drops these into her palms and replaces them with green ones again. They are sharp against her skin and she handles them carefully as she conveys them to an empty sake glass on her worktable. "I could make these into some sort of blow dart, you know." He cocks his head at her. "Of course, I wouldn't use ones filled with Sherryl's toxin, but it could make quite the effective distance weapon." She puts one spine to her lips and bites into it. The toxin is greatly diluted, but it would still kill a person in exactly twelve hours. "You can separate a toxin between your spines, but can you separate them any further?" Shrug. "You see, dearie, if I can separate the toxin from the time delay component in it, then I can have twice the battle prowess with half the materials." He simply grins, listening to her explanation. "Right. I suppose it would be less fun if you found it for me, wouldn't it?" Nod. "Alright then. I'd best get to work." She doesn't know how long she spends leaning over chemicals, her microscope, and various slides, but several hours pass. She only realizes how late it's gotten when someone knocks on her door. She looks up to find Pierce standing there.

"Karmen, there's a lot to do tomorrow and you still haven't rested since we've returned."

"I meditated for three hours. That was very restful," she says, still begrudging the failed training.

He smirks at her. "Then at least let Tuna go to bed. He's dozing." It's true. Despite his still cheerful expression, his head is drooping sharply and his fins sag.

She sets her slides aside and pats the squid. "Thanks for your help tonight. You're spectacular, dear." He looks pleased with himself as he nuzzles her hand and curls down into his pot like some strange mix between a puppy and a snake. "Alright. I'll go to bed too."

* * *

Saaresto approaches Karmen after breakfast the next morning. "There is something I meant to speak with you about," he says, pointing to a blond haired girl. "She wouldn't let me inspect her head yesterday and today I've caught her itching. A lot."

"You suspect…"

"I do, and if it is, then it is the one condition I did not prepare for." Karmen looks at the girl. She's sitting near Tuna, running her spoon across her empty plate and giving him curious glances. She couldn't be more than six or seven years old. She'd been one of the children who'd lied about where they came from and what family they had. She has beautiful blond hair, but it's been wrapped around her head in almost a beehive style. It would look cute if it wasn't matted in place. Karmen develops an idea and goes down to the storeroom to retrieve a comb.

"Can I comb your hair for you?" Karmen asks the little girl when she returns. A look of worry crosses her face as she glances up, but when she sees who it is she relaxes a little. She gives a hesitant nod. Karmen gives her a gentle smile and sits behind her. "Your name is Aniyah, right?"

"Yes." Her voice is small and hesitant, her posture rigid and tight.

Karmen begins laying her wispy golden hair down around the girl's shoulders where she can and locates the ends where she can't. most of the hair is matted in a way that makes it hard to see the scalp. She starts at the ends she can find, running the comb gently through the tangles, stopping when a tangle sticks and makes sure not to pull. "Have you met Tuna?" she asks. "He's a squid that disguises himself as a plant. Isn't that funny?"

Tuna nuzzles the girl's cheek and she giggles, relaxing further. "That's silly," she says. "I like him."

"He's great," Karmen agrees. "We met when he saved me from falling into a volcano and he wanted to come back to Batoidea with me."

"Does he talk?" she asks.

"Not with words," Karmen says, "but he can communicate just fine. He likes 'yes' and 'no' questions best." Tuna nods in agreement. "He's talented too." Tuna opens his mouth and nibbles a strand of Aniyah's hair. Instantly he turns yellow and rounds around the edges, gaining an almost cartoonish cuteness to him. "He's a master of camouflage."

Aniyah gives a happy gasp. "That's so cool!" Tuna seems pleased with the praise and bounces around happily. The child plays with Tuna and Karmen works on her hair. It's a long process, but eventually she makes it to the girl's scalp. Her hair grows in clumpy, unnaturally shaped tufts and, when she pulls them aside, she sees why. Her scalp is crisscrossed with jagged scars that look strangely similar to the ones on Pierce. She'd been whipped several times at some point in her life. The scars are old and had long-since healed. The girl must have developed her matted-hive hairstyle as a way to hide it. Movement distracts Karmen. Something small and white in one of the hairless areas, crawling for cover.

Karmen runs her hands through the girl's hair one more time before placing them on her shoulders and leaning down so she can look her in the eye. "I'm going to let you play with Tuna for a minute while I go talk to Saaresto." She stands and walks over to the doctor. "It's head lice like you thought. I would have thought the trip over would have drowned them all. I have poisons that could take care of the problem but I'm not sure how they would affect the skin."

"And you don't want to experiment on a child," he concludes. "I understand." He watches the girl hug Tuna. "There is another way to get rid of them, but…"

Karmen presses her lips together. "I know."

She walks back over to Aniyah and kneels in front of her, taking both her hands gently in hers. "Aniyah, dear. You have bugs living in your hair," she explains in a low voice. "We can get rid of them, but to do it… we'll have to shave your head."

The girl begins to shake and one of her hands lifts to her head. Her lips quiver as they pull into a wide, unnatural grin and her eyes begin to fill. "Ok," she says in a choked voice. "I won't cry. I promise I won't cry, so please don't be angry with me."

Karmen's heart instantly breaks for the child. She wonders if she'd been old enough before she was taken to remember her mother washing and combing her hair, if they'd spent hours talking about hair accessories and trying different styles. All combed out, her hair is down to her waist. She'd spent most of her young life growing it out. On top of everything else, she'd worked so hard to hide the scars on her head, and now here's Karmen, telling the child that she has to take that sense of security away. She squeezes the girls hand gently. "I could never be angry with you. It's ok to say no. You are allowed to say no. We can find a different way."

The girl shakes her head. "But it's the best way. I saw them do it with the boys who had the bugs. They cut off all their hair and they went away. It'll grow back."

Karmen rubs her hand over the girl's hair. "I could never be angry with you. You're a very brave person. You know that, dear?" She draws her knife. "I'll make it quick." She lifts her blade to the girl's scalp and takes a deep breath, only to have Tuna lightly grasp her wrist. She realizes she'd been shaking as much as the girl. "You have a better idea?" she asks hopefully. He pulls back and nods. "Oh thank Kudra." She drops her knife and hugs Aniyah. The girl's grin seems frozen in place. "What did you have in mind?"

He leans over the girl, mouth open. He runs his spines through her hair. When he pulls back, he has dozens of lice trapped between them. With a sawing motion, he kills them all and drops them into his pot. He does this a few dozen times. When he's finished, Karmen can't sense any life signs coming from her hair. He'd even gotten the eggs.

Karmen kisses Tuna on the head. "Thank you for that. You did a wonderful job." She turns back to Aniyah. "All done."

Her eyes widen and her plastered grin falters. "You mean you don't have to shave my head?"

"Not unless you want to." The grin turns into a genuine smile.

Aniyah slams into her, almost knocking her off balance, and throws her arms around Karmen's waist. "Thank you." She pats Tuna on the head. "Thank you too."

Karmen strokes the girl's hair and smiles as she pulls back. "Now, I know you don't like showing your scars. Winston and I may have a better solution than hiding them behind your hair."

"Really?"

She leads the girl to Winston's workshop and whispers a request in his ear. He nods, digs through several scarves, and pulls out a green one that compliments Aniyah's skin tone. "This is called a hijab. It's a kind of headscarf that women sometimes wear for cultural or religious reasons. You can wear it if you like."

She lets Winston show her how to wrap it around her head and examines herself in the full-length mirror. "I can really keep this?" she asks, eyes wide and mouth open.

Karmen leans down and grins at her. "Want me to embroider your name into it?" She takes it back from her for a few minutes and stitches a clean red "Aniyah" into the corner. She hands it back and watches her wrap it back around her head. It isn't as neat as Winston's handiwork, but she'd improve over time.

Aniyah gives her another hug. "You're the best." Karmen strokes her hijab in return. It's nice being the best every once in a while. "Dr. Saaresto is about to start the tour of the island's topside. Why don't you go join them? It's nice and sunny outside and you might even get to see Kudra from the upper cliffs." With a hasty goodbye, Aniyah rushes off, excited to show her hijab to the other girls. "Thanks, Winston."

"For a smile like that? Anytime," comes his content response.

Karmen returns to the dining chamber and finds everything cleaned up. Her head itches and she feels she's just being paranoid about a possible transfer. Her haki says otherwise. Some people would be grossed out by the situation, but the poison she puts into her shampoo would soon take care of the problem. However, she'd already been shown a faster solution.

Picking up his pot, Karmen carries Tuna out to the beach and sets him in the sand. She sits in front of him and he begins combing his spines through her hair. Pierce walks out beside her. "Don't tell me."

She nods and gives a thin smile. "My first case of head lice." She scratches her head. "This is a lot different from sea lice."

Sea lice are jellyfish larvae that tend to travel in swarms. It's very easy for swimmers to get them caught in their clothing. It's not the jellyfish's fault. They don't have a central brain, after all, but it still left most people with an uncomfortable sting rash. Karmen is no stranger to them. Training for fish riding competitions as a child had kept her in closer contact with several ocean creatures than she sometimes liked. Unfortunately, baby jellyfish don't leave scars. Still, Karmen had always preferred puncture wound scars to surface marks. If you're going to get hurt, you should have a cool story to back it up.

He shuffles his feet and fusses with the collar of his shirt. "Is there something you wanted to discuss?"

He squares his shoulders and turns his face in her direction. "I was wondering, when you have some spare time, if you would give me another tattoo to commemorate our first successful rescue mission."

A smile spreads across her face. "How about a wave? I could make it look like the traditional ones in paintings."

He cocks his head, trying to remember. "I haven't seen a painting in about a year. I might need you to describe your idea, but I like the sound of it." He shuffles his feet again. "And I know you like to work on your poisons in your spare time, but I was wondering if you'd have the time to read to me at some point?"

"Of course. Is there anything you'd prefer?"

"Anything, really. I wouldn't even mind one of those medical texts or wildlife guides you use for your research."

She gives a soft giggle. "I admit, my library is a bit lacking as far as entertainment value goes. Maybe I can pull out some of our old newspapers." He nods his agreement. He did mean anything. "When we leave the island again, I'll keep an eye out for new materials. I'm sure the patients will want something to read as well."

He makes some comment about books and the ocean not being very compatible that makes her laugh.

"Winston will be starting the morning workouts in about fifteen minutes. Do you want to join us?" Pierce asks when Tuna seems finished picking the bugs out of her hair.

She stretches as she stands. "I could use the exercise," she says. "We haven't sparred in a while."

He grins. "I do enjoy a challenge."

She slides him a sly look. "You're just happy there's no one to throw me off a building."

"As if Kudra wouldn't send you flying towards the cliff if you asked her nicely."

"Hmm. Kudra does do her best to ensure that I can cope for myself. She's a dear like that."

"That ray is going to get you killed one day and I won't be able to swim after you."

"You worry too much. Par wouldn't let me drown." She looks over at Tuna. "Do you want to come with us or stay here for a while?" He dips his head toward the ocean, indicating that he wants to talk with the rays. She rubs her hand across his head. "Alright. We'll come back by to collect you later."


	80. Chapter 80: Help and Hiding Part 2

Karmen and Pierce make their way from the beach down to the workout chamber and finish their stretches by the time Winston enters with a party of patients wanting to see what a normal training session entails. "Oh, we are in a treat this morning, aren't we?" Winston says with a chuckle. "We'd best stay out of their way while we warm up."

Karmen draws her quills and tosses her grenade belt aside. "I don't suppose I could get you to take it easy, considering the past two days?" Pierce asks, drawing his tonfa blades.

"The last two days are exactly why I'm not going to take it easy on you."

"Mistress, I… That's not what I meant."

She rolls her shoulders and slides her left foot back. "Oh, I know exactly what you meant." He thinks she's hiding symptoms like hearing voices and frozen muscles. He's afraid that if she pushes herself too hard he'll be running her to Saaresto and pacing the tunnels until she recovers. She'd show him that his worry is entirely unfounded… probably.

Iona blanches. "You can't be serious. Where's her weapon?"

"In her hand," Winston states plainly.

"She's going up against… that," she waves at all of Pierce, "with _quills_?"

"Poisoned quills."

"She'll be torn to shreds!"

"Oh ye of little faith," Bhoden says, stroking his beard. "You forget, he works for her."

"As a bodyguard."

"And who was it that rescued us?"

"We were stuffed inside barrels. We don't know who did what."

"So shut your gaping gob for two seconds and let's find out."

"Do you want to start or shall I, dearie?" Karmen asks.

Pierce rolls his neck. "Winston, sorry about the shirt." His wings sprout from his back, ripping through the fabric in a sound that echoes around the chamber, followed in quick succession by the _thoom_ of a shockwave as he propels himself forward. Karmen grins as Winston does his best not to grit his teeth.

"Sync."

Pierce cuts off a curse as he takes his first swing, minding the children in the room. Karmen, synchronized and especially wispy, easily ducks the swing aimed for her temple and lightly slides her quill along his wrist. The sea stone momentarily weakens him and he stumbles forward, carried by his own momentum as he loses the balance of his wings. "If you're going to attack, at least break the skin."

"If you know I'm going to attack, at least try to use your haki." She does a little spin around him and plants her foot in the small of his back, sending his teetering form further off balance. "And I did break the skin. Just barely. If you didn't feel it then it means I made it correctly."

Pierce tries to adjust his hold on his tonfa as he swings his arms to stay upright only to find that he can't bend his wrist. "What concentration of deadbolt is that?" He jolts new wings backward to deliver a full body blow. She jumps high into the air and springs off them as he tries to recover. She is propelled far over his head, somersaulting and twisting like a gymnast before landing lightly with her hands in the air like a flamenco dancer.

"If you even come close to hitting me I might be inclined to tell you." She pulls into a low stance with her left hand by her left ankle and her right hand high in the air. "Would it help if I closed my eyes?" He reaches up to pull the remains of the shirt from his torso and hesitates, ears twitching towards the watching crowd. She drops her voice so that only he can hear. "Would you like me to cloak us both so this will be a private match?" Even after she says it, she wishes she hadn't. Yes, he needs to get over his aversion to others seeing his scars, but he knows that cloaking people without touching them takes tremendous amounts of haki, which could slow her down and therefore endanger her. He would rather feel reclusive than put limits on her.

There is an added tension in his jaw, but he rips the shirt off and tosses the ruined fabric aside. "That won't be necessary, Mistress." Fur sprouts along his chest and back, blocking most of his scars from sight. Still, she sees Aniyah's eyes widen as her eyes scan him, inches ahead of his cover. He transforms his right arm into a wing and is finally able to drop his tonfa. He raises his other one as he transforms his wing back into a stiff, if loose, fist. His ears elongate and his nose lengthens slightly. He may not have her observation haki, but his heightened senses will definitely help make up the difference. He swings at her with his viable tonfa to force her to back into a standing position before scissoring his wings at her. She barrel rolls between them, landing in a spiderish sprawl on the ground. She stabs at his ankle but it blackens with haki and, despite him still weakening and losing his transformations for a moment, he remains unscathed.

She flips backward as he sets his transformation back in place, the ball of her right foot aimed for his chin. He dodges backward and takes to the air, scanning the ground with his echolocation. She grins and cloaks herself. "Good luck, dearie." She removes the darts from her quills, not bothering to remove the poison capsules from them. Pierce hangs there silently, mouth slightly open as he gives calls too high for the human ear to hear. Karmen lets him hover just long enough for him to start circling nervously.

The darts start flying. One cuts into his cheek and another narrowly avoids brushing his wing. She's trying to bring him out of the air. Once he realizes her plan he starts dodging. She forces him back against the ceiling and he mutters a child-friendly oath. He attaches his remaining tonfa to his belt and flipping around to face the rocks above him. His feet and hands extend into claws and he latches onto the ceiling, crawling and leaping around as he dodges her darts. He's considerate, where he can be. He knocks her darts back down when they get lodged into the rocks, careful not to touch them, lest it sends him falling to the floor in a reversal of his transformations.

Another dart sticks in the rocks between his thighs, not high enough to put him in danger, but close enough for him to become hyper-aware of her implications. "Worry about my darts hitting you, not where I lodge them." She throws another one and the flat side hits him in the back. All his transformations disappear and he falls. He quickly turns over in the air and his bat features return, wings snapping with a powerful _crack._

"She's going to kill him," Iona says breathlessly.

"You should really pick who you feel is stronger," Bhoden teases. When she glares he continues. "Obviously these two have more trust in each other than you can see. She trusts him to be strong enough to survive her attacks and he trusts her not to kill him outright. It's a training match, not a brawl."

"But if he was dumb enough to let her get a good shot in, she might very well kill him... for a few seconds," Winston adds in. "Nothing permanent."

"Your vote of confidence is inspiring," Pierce mutters over the sound of his own wings. "She may be able to disappear, but she still has her own disadvantages."

Suddenly Karmen is in front of Pierce, planting both her feet square in the middle of his chest. How she was able to jump that high, he isn't sure, but he coats his chest in haki just in time. Her momentum pushes him back a couple feet, but the beat of his wings keeps him in the air and sends her springboarding off his chest. Her butt hits the dirt floor, skidding to a halt, and she groans. "Ok. I'll give you a point for that one."

The watching crowd gapes at her. "She's weak."

Pierce lands in front of her and extends his hand. Karmen acts like she's going to accept his help but pulls him towards her, planting her feet in the exact same spot, and flips him over his own head instead.

"But smart," Winston adds in.

Pierce gets up and brushes himself off. He rushes forward, propelled by his wings, with his fist raised. He plunges it towards Karmen's head and she spins out of the way, wind from the blow glancing off her back. On her return, her quill brushes his ribs with feather-light contact. His hand comes up and touches the now stiff set of muscles. "Do you know how weird it feels to move my arm now?" he asks.

She senses the muscles with her haki. "Since I'm synchronized with you, yes," she says, flipping a quill. "You can do better."

He rounds on her with a kick, causing her to fall into a back handspring. When she comes up again he releases a flurry of punches that rival a slower version of Luffy's Gatling. Karmen weaves and ducks around his fists, focusing more on the flow of her own muscles than locking up any more of his. When she's fallen into a set rhythm, she adjusts her stance and grabs his wrist, heaving his body forward with his own momentum.

She pulls his arm down her shoulder and flings him over her back, sending him flying. He flips mid-air and, as he nears the ground, his visor catches on one of the darts she'd left embedded in the dirt. It slices through the leather by the latch and it falls away. Karmen darts forward and throws her veil over his face. He was already self-conscious about his scars. He'd be even more so if his eye sockets were exposed without his express desire to share that part of himself. He lays there, pressing the square of cloth to his face, jaw strangely tight. "Sorry," she says as he sits up and faces the wall. The sea stone had disrupted his transformation and he didn't seem to see a point in growing more fur or wings. He'd been beaten and there was no point in wasting calories. "I didn't mean to ruin your visor. Winston probably won't mind the side project though." She admires the bear paw tattoo on his back before turning and finding most of the patients staring at the scars on his back and arms with mixed expressions of horror and shock. She looks to her left. "Camilla, may I borrow your cloak?"

Camilla unhooks the latch and slides it off her shoulder. Iona sneers at the three layers of clothes underneath, but the girl pretends not to notice. She hands it over silently and watches while Karmen drapes it over Pierce's shoulders. He lifts the hood low over his face and returns the veil. His hand comes up, feeling the way his horns warp the natural shape of the thick cloth.

Tucking the veil into her pocket, Karmen moves to retrieve his visor and stops halfway stooped to pick it up. The gentle expression on her face fades, replaced by her emotionless cowl. Camilla gives a dark chuckle. –What has he done now?- Pierce hears the words her hands form and stiffens.

Karmen picks up the visor and inspects the inside closely. Pierce's hand flies beneath the hood to his eyes, hunching as he realizes what she's seen.

She steps back around him, deliberately slow. When she stands in front of him she throws the hood off and forces his face towards her by pulling on one of his horns. His wide eye sockets are filled with a white cottony substance. "Pierce, dearest," she says in a low, dangerously calm voice, "have you been neglecting your medication?"

Sweat trickles down his temple and drips down his neck. He has the urge to crawl backward, but smartly stays where he is. "I may have forgotten to bring it on the mission, M-Mistress."

Her hand slowly closes around visor until components of the gas mask inside crack. Pierce flinches at the sound. She removes a key from her belt. For a moment it looks like she's going to throw it at him like a dart, but she drops it in his open palm instead. He still looks like he's been struck. "My workroom. Now. I'll be down shortly." She wrenches the hood back over his face and releases him. It's all he can do to stand up in a dignified manner and not scamper away. He keeps his shoulders squared and his chin level, and walks from the room.

When he's out of earshot, Karmen sighs. Camilla picks up her ammunition belt and tosses it to her. She catches it and gives the girl an appreciative half-smile. -I'll train with you later.- She signs.

-Make sure he washes my cloak before he gives it back. I don't want it smelling like sweat,- comes the response. -And tell him if his horns leave holes in my hood he has to buy me another.-

-If I don't kill that idiot first.- It had been a joke, but Camilla grins as is she'd been serious. Karmen rolls her eyes and adds. –Kidding. Bruises tops.- She slings her belt over her shoulder and turns to Winston. "The workout chamber is yours. It may be best to keep them off the lower levels for an hour or two. I don't plan on holding back."

Winston pales, but smiles. "It sounded like a simple mistake. Surely he'll do better next time." Karmen doesn't say anything, just fixes him with her emotionless stare. It only takes a few seconds for him to become nearly as uncomfortable as Pierce had been. "Right. We'll stay up here."

She waves Pierce's ruined visor at him. "He'll be requiring a new visor and gas mask."

"Yes, ma'am."

Despite the distance between the two rooms, the sound of Karmen yelling at Pierce in ancient Elbaphian echoes down the halls enough that Camilla can pick out words and phrases.

"I think she might actually kill him this time," Saaresto says casually as he steps into the room. He has a smile on his face, but he flinches at a particularly violent sounding string of words.

Winston looks pale, just as distracted as his co-veteran is as they walk through their martial arts form routine with the patients, but he shakes his head. "This is just a product of how she was raised," he says. "She would never raise her voice this much about someone she didn't care for. This is her version of tough love."

Something crashes far below.

"How is this any kind of affection?" Iona asks.

"The nobles who raised her would often kill anyone she showed any kind of kindness towards," Saaresto explains. "Sometimes she'd have to be cruel in order to save someone's life. In some ways, she has just as much to work through as all of you. She has vowed to never take a life and Pierce has been through far too much for her to leave any lasting damage." Something else crashes as if in opposition to his words. The yelling only gets louder.

Camilla grimaces and Winston makes polite conversation to try to distract her from what only she and Pierce can understand. "Maybe we should send down a hot meal, just in case," he suggests. She falters her next mimed blow as another phrase floats up. "And some tea." More yelling. "And a whole apple pie."

She makes a few motions that he takes as agreement with his statement.

"We should also probably keep Karmen far away from the kitchen until she calms down," Saaresto adds. "No sense letting it all catch fire." This time it's Camilla who pales. She nods. She doesn't have enough growing in the gardens to completely replace the pantry, especially not in the next week or two.

The patients stare between them, unsure what to make of Camilla's silent communications and them acting like Karmen's reaction to whatever she had seen on that visor as an expected reaction. Finally, Bhoden asks.

Camilla and Winston exchange a look. "He doesn't talk about it," Winston answers. "Something about what happened while he was locked up."

Iona blanches. "He was in _jail_? She has a _convict_ as a bodyguard?"

Camilla stops her routine and wheels on the woman. "What kind of stu-"

"Camilla!" Winston's retort echoes around the chamber and she grits her teeth, finishing the comment with a hard glare. Winston takes a deep breath and turns on the woman much calmer than Camilla had. "Pierce was tortured for two years before Karmen was able to rescue him. That's how he got all those scars. If you want more details, you'll have to ask them when they feel like sharing."

"As for you," Camilla looks her up and down with a disgusted expression, "I think you'd be safer keeping your trap shut."

Winston sighs as more yelling floats up the tunnels. "We aren't getting any anywhere like this. Camilla, would you go pick something from that special garden of yours for the pie?"

Down in the workroom, Karmen scrubs the inside of Pierce's eye sockets with a rough sponge. She knows it hurts and, yelling aside, she's trying to be gentle. Despite taking things slowly, she practically has to remove a layer of skin to rid him of the sprouted growth. He doesn't even flinch as she scrapes out the tufts of white fungus from the crevices.

Because of her concern and frustration, she seems locked into speaking Ancient Elbaphian. "Didn't I tell you that the stupid mask would hold in moisture? I told you to be extremely cautious with your medicine and what do you do? You leave it at home! What would you do if this spread to your brain?" she yells as she mixes his fungicide medication and antibacterial ointment. She throws the sponge aside and begins spreading the solution inside his sockets, making sure every millimeter is coated. "And even worse, you didn't tell me. You knew it was coming back and you didn't say anything!" She slaps the flat of her palm against his chest. She's sure the sting she receives from the blow is more than he feels, but it helps her to release some of her frustrations. She knows there are better ways of venting them, but she can't seem to stop herself from trying to jar him into taking her words seriously.

"You'd been ill on the way back," he says, attempting an explanation. "I was in no place to-"

"I could have made you some while we were out there! I could have sent Raja back to fetch it for you! How are you supposed to protect me if you're acting erratically and expending so much energy that you'd eat us out of house and home? Maybe faster than we can supply?"

"You don't know that-"

"Neither do you!" she hits him again. "Law said that White Nose Syndrome in bats-" Her voice trails off as she imagines the scenarios in her head.

He grasps her wrist. "You're shaking." She looks away and doesn't say anything. He pulls her towards him slowly, putting his other hand in her hair at the nape of her neck. She lets him cradle her to his shoulder, hands pressed against his bare chest as she tries to control her breathing. The heat radiating off him calms her and she takes a deep breath, the scent of him filling her nostrils and the sound of his rapid heartbeat pounding in her ears. She tries to use these signs of his health and stability as a means to calm herself, but her breath catches in her throat and there's a pressure in her chest that threatens to smother her. "I know I've worried you, and I'm sorry," he whispers in her ear, hot breath sending her hair rustling against her skin. "I did try treating myself after we got back. I thought it would go away after a while, but it must have been too far gone. I thought I could take care of it and not have to bother you. I'll ask for help next time. I promise."

Next time. How long had they been gone? Four, five days? It shouldn't be this advanced for that amount of time. His medicine only seemed to be keeping it at bay, not curing it. Law had said there was no definite cure, but he'd seemed sure that the drops would prevent flare-ups. It isn't working. He needs something different or else next time they may not catch it until it's too late. "You're ok," she says, mostly to herself. "You're ok. You're ok." His hold on her grows tighter.

"Are you?" he asks gently.

"You're not taking this seriously enough," she growls. Her fingers find the round scar under his left collar bone. He curls around her slightly in response. It's as if he's trying to absorb all her anxiety and fear. "If this progresses too far you could die. If what Law says is true then I may have to…" She buries her forehead in his neck. "Don't ever put me in that situation."

He draws her back and turns his ear toward her. She briefly thinks that this is the equivalent of him looking her in the eye. The slight humor of it doesn't do much to the panic still curdling in her gut, but it is enough to slow her breathing. "You're worried that you'll have to take me out." It isn't a question and it leaves her throat tight and her chest burning again.

"If Law is right and if you being affected by this fungus is anything like how I am with medication… you won't be in control of yourself. You could hurt yourself or someone else without even knowing it. And then I'd have to… If I accidentally… I don't want to hurt you."

He strokes her hair and places his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be careful," he says in a soft voice. "And if you're ever slipped medicine and end up in a state like that, then I'll be here to stop you."

"If you're not, I'll hand you over to Kudra."

He chuckles. "Then it's a good thing that I'd rather drown than make you angry." This gets a laugh out of her and he draws her back in for another hug. "By the way, thank you for not yelling at me in front of the patients."

"I'm angry with you, but I'm not sadistic." She turns her head to the side. "Though, I was so mad that I forgot to close the door. I think they heard anyway. They stopped training and rushed off to the kitchen."

She hears Pierce lick his lips. "So that's why I smell apple pie."

Karmen purses her lips. She isn't quite ready to feel better yet, but the pie sounds tempting. She takes fresh gauze and coats the inside with fungicide before laying it over his eyes and wrapping it securely around his head. "Come on. Let's go show them all that I didn't strangle you. Oh, and find yourself a shirt."

* * *

 **A.N.: Hello~ I noticed as I looked at the view statistics that some of you revisit certain chapters more than others. It got me curious as to the reasons behind why some of you like those chapters over others and I'd love to hear them.**

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter and expanding on island life. Thanks for reading!**

 **~KnightNGale020**


	81. Chapter 81: Help and Hiding Part 3

Once they return to the upper levels, Karmen storms into the pantry and lifts a keg-sized barrel of sea king jerky. She returns to the dining area and sets it on the table. "Eat," she orders. Pierce sits and begins eating, having no desire to pass up a meal and disobey her in one go. He'd need the protein to fight off the remaining fungus in his system. She watches him eat until she's satisfied he won't get sick and mentally adds one more stop to their next outing. Only then does she notice the patients sitting around the other tables and helping out in the kitchen.

Iona leans back in her chair, she was sitting across from them at another row of tables, and nudges Pierce. "You really put up with that?"

Pierce looks genuinely confused. "With Karmen caring about my health?"

She rolls her eyes, recognizing that she's not going to get anywhere on the "poor abused bodyguard" line of questioning. "What's wrong with you, anyway?"

Pierce considers answering, then shoves a handful of jerky in his mouth and mutters an answer around it. "Pierce's medical history is between us and Saaresto unless Pierce decides to share," Karmen says. He swallows and gives her an appreciative smile that Iona can't see.

Winston walks out of the kitchen and points to the empty chair across from Pierce. "You sit too."

Karmen takes the one beside Pierce instead. Winston sets a steaming cup of Darjeeling in front of her, shortly followed by an individual apple pie in a red pan. She noticed others being laid out to cool in silver pans and wonders if hers was made special. She silently picks up her fork and takes a bite, only to choke up in endearment at the taste. "You put in nightshade like the story," she croons, remembering the version of the fairytale she'd told Zoro several months back. "It really adds to the flavor."

Iona reels, twisting in her chair. "Your pie is poisoned and you're _eating_ it?!"

"Well, I'm not going to pass it up." Karmen looks back to Winston. "Thank you, dear. This is lovely."

"So lovely that you'll forgive me for being an idiot?" Pierce asks hopefully.

She rolls her eyes at him. "Pierce, you were always forgiven. I'm not sorry for yelling at you though."

"And that's why I didn't ask for an apology. I fully deserved it."

Karmen takes a sip of her tea. "Maybe not all of it, but yes. Yes, you did."

"Thank you for not poisoning me."

She blinks. "Oops." She removes a syringe from her belt and injects his bicep with a pale pink antidote. "I almost forgot that I tagged you in training. I really need to get that time-release thing figured out."

He rubs his arm but grins. "Now look who's being forgetful."

"And who's fault is that?"

"Respectfully, Mistress, yours."

"I could poison you again if you like. This pie has a lot of nightshade."

Iona glances between the two of them as they eat. "Don't tell me you two are...?"

"Best friends? We are." Karmen says this in a flat tone, completely missing the indication.

"That's not what she meant," Bhoden says, but Winston waves them off.

"They've known each other since they were children and had to rely on each other for survival. They are close," his eyes glance over Karmen and Pierce. "That's all there is to it."

"What else would there be?" Karmen asks.

Pierce cocks his head. "Should there be?"

Iona shakes her head. "Never mind."

Camilla gives a snort and continues setting out the unpoisoned pies. She glances over at them. –My cloak had better not have any white fuzzies on it.-

-Don't worry, it'll get washed.-

-I'm going to slip out when I can. You know where to find me for training.-

"And what's her deal?" Iona asks as Camilla walks out. "Why doesn't she pick one form of communication and stick to it?"

"Camilla, keep that trowel in your hand, please," Karmen calls, not bothering to turn around to find the girl with her arm pulled back and ready to throw. She looks at Iona instead. "You can needle us all day and we won't bat an eye, but needle Camilla, and I can't promise that you won't be stabbed."

The meal is brought out then and they eat in relative silence. When Karmen passes Pierce half her protein, his head dips. She wonders if he's feeling shame. "I really am sorry, Karmen." He looks so pitiful that if she keeps staring all her anger might just fade completely, and if that happens she would start taking it easy on him and soon enough he'd become complacent and forget his medicine again.

Karmen narrows her eyes and purses her lips at him. "If you were really sorry…" she pauses, trying to come up with a suitable apology. She grins as she settles on one that he may have already expected. "If you were really sorry then you'd dance with me tonight." Iona almost chokes on her drink. The red-headed woman still has to spit half a mouthful back into her cup.

"Any requests?" Pierce asks.

"I'd kill for a-" she almost says a tango, but the image of the circumstances surrounding her last one pops into her head and she quickly changes her mind, "-a hustle."

"I'm not sure," Pierce teases. "I think my equilibrium is off from all that yelling. I have sensitive ears, you know."

Karmen smirks at him. There's no way he would actually turn down a request to dance with her, but playing along will provide a distraction, if only for him. "You can either dance with me or let Winston give you the old Rivera treatment."

He blanches. "You wouldn't dare."

"Of course _I_ wouldn't, but Winston has a whole shipment of things that he's planning on sending to his brother… sister."

"And you say you aren't a slave driver." Despite his words, he grins. "I think you just like seeing me in fishnets."

"Can you blame me? All my blackmail pictures blew up with the mansion."

"What a tragedy."

"Get a room," Iona mutters, curling her nose up at them.

Karmen grins. "What a wonderful idea," she responds before turning back to Pierce. "Training room, later."

"And a poem."

She groans. "Now who's being impossible?"

"Poem or no deal."

"Fine. Deal?"

"Deal."

Iona groans.

Winston exhales a long breath. "This will be even better than watching you spar."

Iona sputters. "Don't you have anything better to do than watch them? What are you, their chaperone?"

Winston shakes his head. "Karmen's ballroom dancing is second to none this side of the North Blue. It would be a shame to miss it."

Bhoden leans over and smirks. "Where is that head of yours trying to take it? Really, Iona, you aren't catching on to how this island works at all, are you?"

"Shut up, old man," she snaps before hiding behind her cup. "They've been fighting. I just figured they'd want a bit of privacy. You'd think a dance and a poem wouldn't be enough of a make-up."

Karmen blinks in her direction. "What more do you expect?"

Pierce shakes his head. "To each their own."

Despite the hot meal, Karmen doesn't find herself relaxing. She needs a quiet place and physical activity. She helps clear away the dishes and goes down to her personal training chamber. It is a large chamber with a natural pool in the floor fed by a spring somewhere deep within the rocks. The water drains away to the cistern below, as smooth and quiet as the Calm Belt itself. Hundreds of stalagmites reach up out of the water. The only sound or disturbance comes from the water dripping down slowly from stalactites from the levels above. Karmen leaps onto the stalagmites, tip-toeing across four as she slows to a stop. She spends the next two hours performing yoga while standing on points of rock no wider than her pinkie toe, changing positions every time a drop of water falls from the ceiling and solidifying her new stance as it hits the still water.

Drip. She's in tree pose on the left side of the chamber. Drip. Mountain pose in the middle. Drip. Warrior pose on the right. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. She works her way through sun salutation. Crescent lunge. Camel. Forward bend. Pigeon. She moves through them methodically, not really caring which pose she ended up in so long as she kept her balance and focused her haki. She keeps ramping it up, moving faster, seeking something stronger and faster to synchronize with. She needs… she needs… She doesn't know what she needs. If there was anything to scrub in this cave she'd be scouring it. She wants the balance brought through physical activity and the clarity of just shutting off her mind and letting her body work. Not finding it, despite all her efforts, frustrates her. She pushes herself, focusing her haki to the point of exhaustion, making a cloak that covers the room, the outside tunnel, the level.

She knows she's made a mistake the instant her muscles lock up as she moves into a half lotus toe balance. She has the ball of her left foot balanced on the tip of a stalagmite no wider than a pen and her right foot crossed over her left knee. Her hands are folded together in front of her chest as if she's praying. She might be, if only for no one to find her like this. She quickly draws back her haki, but even when she shuts it off completely she still can't move. That's when the stalagmite cracks.

Air forces its way into her compressed lungs in a gasp as the rock beneath her crumbles into the water. It isn't deep, but the surface still closes above her head as she sinks to the bottom, back scraping rock. She holds the breath she'd taken. It's the only thing she can do. The water in this cavern is cold, but she can't feel it. Her eyes are the only part of her body she can move or feel. This would be the perfect condition to focus on the expanse outside her normal range of senses, but if she did that now she'd drown. Panic wells in her stomach and she forces it down. It took twenty minutes for her to regain function last time, or had she fallen asleep and had only been awake for that long? She can hold her breath for at least twenty minutes if she relaxes, maybe longer. Haki had gotten her into this mess. Maybe haki can get her out.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she increases her haki back to her normal range. She can sense the lizards scampering on the walls. Even when she closes her eyes she can see the glow of life surrounding them. A snake winds its way through the water's edge and slides down the drainage chute. There is only one person on this level of the caves. Pierce. She'd recognize that stiff walk anywhere. He's close, too. He's turning the corner, perhaps looking for her. She prays that he is. He cocks his ear as if he's listening. He slows. _No, no, no, no, no. Come here. Come here, Pierce. Please, come check on me. I'm down here. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Keep walking. Keep coming down the tunnel. Listen in and-_

"Karmen?" Pierce's voice is muffled by the water but she can hear him clearly. She can sense him step into the chamber and stop just at the foot of the pool. He tilts his head from side to side, listening for any sign of her. Here. She exhales, hoping the escaping air will make a sound his sensitive ears will pick up. She pleads, sending up as many bubbles as she can afford, hoping to draw his attention. When he shrugs and turns around, her heart plummets. He can't sense past the water's surface. He can't sense her. How much air does she have left? Already she feels the burn of how much she'd released. She'd exhaled too much, thinking he'd come swooping in to her rescue like always.

 _Patience._

She isn't sure if it's the voice she'd heard while coming back to the island or her own internal voice. She wants to take a deep breath or two to reset her nervous system, but inhaling anything would just put her in a worse situation right now.

 _Calm down._

She can't move and Pierce can't sense her. That's fine, or rather, it would have to be fine for a little while longer. She can't use her physical abilities, so she has to use her head. Her head and her haki are the only two things working for her right now. The opposition weighs heavily and it's all she can do to ignore that for now.

 _You know what you need to do. Calm down and think._

She'd been in jams before. Usually, she has at least one person to rely on when it happens. Maybe she still does. She closes her eyes and concentrates.

Up on the top level, crouching in the poison garden, whispering gently to the plants, is Camilla. She forms an image of herself on the leaf the girl is inspecting and feels a jolt of satisfaction when she stiffens. She has the haki her clamp her hands around her throat in a choking motion and points down. Camilla's chin ducks to follow the motion. When her haki finds Karmen she drops her trowel and runs.

Karmen keeps her eyes closed and relaxes. All she has to do is hold her breath. She can feel the water now, which is a good sign. Soon her muscles will release and she'll be able to move. Still, she doesn't know if her reserve of air will last long enough for that to happen. Thankfully it only takes five minutes for Camilla to reach the chamber. She takes one glance around and trudges through the water, knees kicking up waves as she fights against the resistance. Her hands plunge in and she lifts Karmen above the surface.

Karmen waits for a half-second to let the water run off her face before inhaling a deep breath. She wants to thank Camilla, but she can't move. She looks up at her and gives a long blink instead. She seems to get the message.

"So this is what happened out in the ocean?" Blink. "You can't move at all?" Blink. "How'd you end up in the water?" She glances sideways at the broken rock. "Aren't you freezing?" Not really. Camilla shivers. Goosebumps are rising on her exposed skin. The water must be colder than she thought. Karmen can't feel any of it. "I'd better get you out." Thankful blink. Communicating like this makes her feel like Tuna. Was he still out on the beach? She'd need to bring him in before too long, but first, she has to be able to move her own body. Camilla drags her to the edge of the water, grunting all the way. "How much muscle do you have? You're pure dead weight in a handbasket when you're soaking wet like this."

If she could, Karmen would have laughed. She knows she doesn't weigh that much. Pierce may be strong, but he doesn't have a problem lifting her when he's a twenty-five-pound bat. Camilla drags her out of the water and props her against the wall. When she's satisfied Karmen won't topple over, she sits beside her.

"That was scary," she says. "I really need to figure out that illusion trick you do. I didn't realize how handy it could be."

Despite Camilla's usually quiet demeanor, she can't seem to stop her nervous chatter. Karmen realizes she must have been terrified and this is how she feels most comfortable dispelling that fear. She doesn't mind. Listening to her helps pass the time and she wonders how many nights she and her late sister Jade had sat up, talking just like this. Camilla continues to speak until Karmen is able to lift her hand and place it on the girl's shoulder. "Do me a favor," she says, breathing a sigh of relief at the sound of her own voice. "Don't tell Pierce."


	82. Chapter 82: Make-Up Routine

By the time Karmen recovers from her training, nap included, it's morning again. Pierce hadn't minded waiting. He probably figured that giving her some space and time to do whatever she felt like would further calm her wrath. Still, he stayed within earshot, which she felt was brave of him.

Still frustrated with her haki, she skips breakfast and grabs a fan and tambourine from Winston's workroom before moving down to the workout chamber.

She gets into a low, lunging stance with her arms spread wide. She inhales deeply to take the first step when she senses a presence behind her.

"I know this one," Pierce says, smiling softly. He adjusts his new visor. "Mind if I join you? I did promise, after all."

"It's not a hustle," she says. "You'll still owe me one."

"Then I'll just have to make that poem extra special."

Karmen grimaces. "Does that mean a love poem?"

He rubs his chin, thumb scraping over the light stubble there. "You did yell at me a lot, plus you already agreed. I'd say two dances are a fair trade."

She purses her lips. He had a point. "Fine."

She gives the tambourine a jingle as he mirrors her position, facing in the opposite direction. She takes another deep breath and is about to take the first step when someone else enters the room. "Oh, just in time," Winston says, settling himself against the wall. A small crowd of patients steps in after him and does the same. "This one's based in tai chi, right?"

Karmen exhales, trying to let the air leave lightly and not in a huff. "I'm not sure," she admits. "Uncle Be taught it to me to help me meditate. It might actually be Fishman kung-fu based."

Winston's head cocks to the side. "I know I was never in the manor much, but I can't imagine that man dancing, especially in front of the Gallowcombs."

"He taught me in the ocean, while he was training my lungs for riding. He said it would help my balance underwater. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure the Gallowcombs ever knew he was there half the time." Her eyes follow the curve of her fan down to her foot. Being underwater with Jinbe had been the second happiest experiences of her stay with the Gallowcombs. He understood her love of the ocean and did everything he could to foster it. He told her of his home, deep under the sea, and of their queen, regal and beautiful and compassionate, and of their warriors, strong and fierce like himself. He promised to show her one day, even though she knew Ikaika and Willow would never let her go. Still, the promise was something to hold onto, even if she never truly believed. He was a kind Fishman. He always did his best to make her smile. He looked after her when Kuma and Mihawk couldn't. He'd lost his Warlord's status for helping Luffy try to rescue Ace at the execution. He'd gotten away, and she's sure he's safe.

Do the rays know how to get to Fishman Island? She wonders. Maybe, when the crew is reunited, the rays could help guide them to the country he loves so much. Maybe she could see him there.

She takes the first step, moving forward with the sound of the tambourine. She draws her back leg up until she's standing on one foot with the fan outstretched and the tambourine arcing over her head. She sets her raised foot down and extends it into another low lunge. Pierce follows along behind her, in sync with the music. Her arms move in wide arcs and her body snakes in movements that mirror the ocean currents. The fan snaps open and closed, arcs and jabs, extending her reach and protecting her body. The tambourine starts and stops with their feet, often beating against her wrist or hip to add a drumming rhythm to the sound. Pierce's empty hands move with hers, fingers standing together as he arcs them through the air. Like little daggers, his hands show how each movement can be turned offensive in a fight.

Karmen performs a rolling turn, causing Iona to gasp. "That's the move you used to throw Pierce yesterday!"

"Well look who's learning," Bhoden says, giving her an approving smile. "If I'm not mistaken she was dancing through the whole fight."

They keep their backs facing each other as they step out in a wide circle as if walking a defensive perimeter. Slowly they draw the circle closer together until they stop with their right feet pointed at each other in deep lunges and their index fingers brushing each other only inches above.

They straighten at the same time. Karmen snaps her fan closed and tucks it into the back of her waistline and tosses the tambourine away with a clatter of symbols. "Time for that hustle." She holds her hands out to him and he grasps hers readily. They step off into the dance, sidestepping and wrapping and side breaking, all while adding a turn or two every few steps. Though there is no music, they both remain on beat and end the dance with smiles on their face. Pierce grabs her waist and pulls her close to get her attention. He leans close and whispers in her ear. "My turn."

She steps away with a giggle. "Do your worst."

"Is that a challenge?" he asks, stepping back and taking to the air. His wings tear through his shirt and the chamber is filled with the sound of Winston's teeth grinding as Pierce flies up the tunnels and disappears.

Karmen turns to the tailor. "In his defense, we all know you were just waiting for him to wear out some of his wardrobe so you could swap them out."

"While that may be true," Winston says, relaxing the smallest amount, "if he continues to go through them this quickly I'll either make him bring me fabric to supplement his rate of destruction or I'll cut him off altogether."

She has to hide her smile. While refusing to make someone clothing is a tailor's worst threat, she can't imagine Pierce minding very much.

All humor fades from her expression as Pierce comes flying back into the room with a dark grin on his face. She sees the pages in his hand. Plural. There are at least twelve sheets of Braille. "That's not one that I translated for you," she accuses, taking a step back.

"It is not," he admits, landing in front of her and keeping pace. "With the new arrivals on the island, I thought I'd expand my arsenal."

A mock gasp escapes her lips. "You traitor. You've made excellent progress behind my back."

"All the more to torture you with, my Lady."

She sits as if to meditate, but instead of setting her hands in her lap, she places them over her ears and squeezes her eyes closed. "I'm ready. Do what you will."

Pierce's hand rises to the page with excruciating slowness so that his fingertips rest on the raised bumps. His lungs expand in a long breath, purposefully drawn out to add to her displeasure. He then delivers a beautiful soliloquy that melts the hearts of at least half of the women in the listening crowd. It is a love poem of a man reflecting on a woman who washed up from the ocean and his decision to leave everything he knows to be with her. With each page Karmen tenses, muscles constricting and body curling inward. When he delivers the last lines, "And shouldst thou stay or venture past the shore, thou wouldst carry my heart evermore," Karmen looks like she may explode or break down into convulsions. When she's sure he's done, she lets herself relax and stands, working slightly as if she'd just completed a triathlon.

"Dear Kudra, that was terrible." Karmen extends her hand. "You are a worthy adversary," she announces. "Do we call a truce?"

Pierce grasps her hand firmly. "If we aren't even by now then we've done something wrong."

"Apples?"

"Jerky."

"Picnic."

"Deal."

Iona looks at Bhoden. "What in Kudra's name is happening?" she asks.

He shrugs. "For once I don't have any idea. A makeup celebratory meal, if I had to guess."

Winston smiles nostalgically. "They're keeping tradition. A certain man of power would often visit Karmen when she was younger. Sometimes they would upset each other and he would get back at her by talking her half to death. In exchange, she would insist on having tea outside. They never really disliked either, but the show they put on would be enough to fool who it needed to."

"So she actually _liked_ that poem?" Iona asks.

"Absolutely not," Winston states flatly. "She despised every word of it with every fiber of her being, but she stomached it because she cares for Pierce. He enjoyed it, and that makes her somewhat happy, even if some other part of her would rather stab him with sea stone than hear another."

* * *

Karmen and Pierce carry their lunch and blanket up to the highest cliff on the island.

"It sounds like your apple tree is growing well," Pierce comments as she lays out the blanket.

"It doesn't look like a shrub anymore, that's for sure," she confirms. Her eyes scan the horizon as she sits down and Pierce prepares their food. "It really is a perfect day for a picnic. It makes me feel nostalgic."

He sits beside her. "Describe it for me."

She looks up. "The sky is a deep blue above us, like the pajamas Godwin loved so much. There isn't a single cloud up there today. I guess we don't get too many out here, do we? The sun isn't too hot, as you can likely feel, and it isn't blinding either. It casts a soft light over everything. The color of the sky softens on a gradient all the way down to the horizon, where the sky meets the sea, it's so pale blue that it's nearly white. The water is as smooth as the side of your tonfa blades and it gleams like they do. The sky is reflected in it so that I can barely tell which blue is the ocean. The only difference is that the ocean becomes green as the water gets deeper. About five island lengths out in this direction," she turns his ear slightly forward, "a sea king is about to breach."

A giant fish leaps out of the water to swallow a whole flock of birds flying by. It gives a reverberating call that can only be made out with haki and super-hearing. They both smile as it crashes down into the ocean, creating the only sound out there for miles.

"It's so quiet out here," he comments. "It's… different."

"Just wait until we have a couple hundred people on this island," she mutters. "Enjoy the silence while you can."

"We've got the blue, cloudless sky and a still blue-green ocean," he summarizes. "Keep going."

She smiles and rolls on her stomach, peering over the cliff. "The calm ocean meets the beach in an even, smooth line. The only motion is caused by the rays. They're playing with the mermaid purses. The little black pouches that hold their young bob gently in the shallows, just waiting for the day when they're developed enough to emerge and make the migration across the Red Line to Chiyome. They don't know how big the ocean is yet. To them, that little pouch is home. By the time we get back from our next mission, they may be ready to emerge. They twitch as they grow, waiting until they're ready to begin lives of their own."

"Kind of like Batoidea," he comments.

She hums as she muses on this. "Batoidea, the giant mermaid purse," she says. "I like the sound of that." She closes her eyes and senses the lives beneath them. All those people, waiting until they recuperate before they emerge out into the world, truly free, even from their own trauma. "I like that a lot."

He prods her arm gently. "And past the ocean?"

She opens her eyes again and looks down. "The sand is soft and golden, like Willow's earrings with the pearls. There isn't a single broken shell washed up. There are a few whole ones that hermit crabs have left behind or shells that seabirds have conveniently left empty for them. The sand is smooth, only disturbed by the rays and human activity. The footprints we left the other day are still there. We probably need to sweep them smooth just in case any marine ships decide to investigate out this way, not that Kudra wouldn't sink them if they did."

Pierce chuckles. "We could just get Kudra mad. She'd make a wave big enough to wash them all away."

"And half the patients," she mutters. He doesn't need to prompt her this time. She continues. "Where the sand meets the cliffs is obscured by the vines that grow along them and all the camouflaged squid living among it. They really do enjoy staying there. I never see them eat though."

"They go out to hunt at night," Pierce says. "Sometimes the rays bring them food."

She looks at him. "How many nights have you stayed up watching them?" she asks.

"Not nearly as many as you," she says. He begins fixing his plate in earnest. "Don't forget. I'm more nocturnal now. It's like it's in my DNA. I feel awake at night."

"Are you sure it's not Non-24? From your blindness?"

He shakes his head. "I don't confuse day and night because I can't see light, but I… feel it in my gut. I want to fly and eat and patrol. That's why I know you stay up working on your poisons or just staring up at your ceiling when you can't sleep."

"I have a lot to think about some nights," she says in way of excuse. She goes back to describing everything so he doesn't think on it for too long. "Between the vines, the rocks and dirt are the same brown color that Kuma's eyes used to be."

"The same color as your eyes?" he asks.

She shakes her head. "No. My eyes are darker than his ever were. I guess you could say my hair was the same color brown as his eyes. His hair is darker than mine, like my eyes." She thinks back. When was the last time Karmen had seen Kuma's real eyes? Her body rocks with pain as she realizes it was the night he'd rescued her. She knows she's not the person who removed them, but deep down she's always felt responsible for Pierce and Kuma losing their eyes. Chopper had always told her that none of it was her fault, that there were simply bad people in the world who do bad things to good people, but it didn't keep the thoughts from needling their way into her head. Her fingers lightly brush the topsoil between blades of grass. She misses the warmth of that color of brown.

Pierce notices her sudden silence and maybe smells the change of chemicals her body has begun to produce with the change of her mood, so he quickly changes the subject. "Do you think Jinbe was trying to teach you how to fight when he taught you those dances?" he asks, words tumbling out in a flood. Maybe he'd been wanting to ask this question since Winston made the comment.

"He could have," she admits. "I didn't think of it at the time, but the way he never left the water was strange. He never came close to the shore. It was like he was hiding and he wasn't supposed to be there at all. I only saw him on a ship or on land a handful of times, and when he was, he was surrounded by government agents. In the water, it was just us." She nibbles a carrot. "I didn't even realize they could be used for fighting techniques until in instinctively used them in battle at Enies Lobby, and even then I ended up being shot.

Pierce scowls. "What kind of jerk goes up against a woman wielding a quill and uses a gun? It's bad form, any way you look at it."

"In his defense, he did start out by trying to tranquilize me," she says. "But my haki outranked his darts. Bullets, not so much."

"Now you have me back," he says. "I won't let anyone shoot you. Ever."

She smiles. "Or yourself." Her eyes fall on where his collar falls open. She can't see the scar she's thinking of, but there are plenty of others to look at. "I don't want you collecting scars like tattoos."

He stifles a giggle, then devolves into howls of laughter. "If anyone can wound me through all of this scar tissue," he finally manages to get out, "I think they deserve to leave a mark."

She thumps him on the head the way that Zoro always did for her. "Use your haki. I'll be far more impressed with that." Still, he'd distracted her from the gloom that had threatened to set in, so she was thankful to him for that. "Do you think there's more they taught me that I don't know that I know yet?"

"It's quite possible," Pierce says. "I remember Kuma doing his best to make sure you could take care of yourself."

"He did slip me a lot of government secrets. Honestly, that man is amazing and resistant in ways I could never pull off. I really admire him."

Pierce nods. "Master truly is an aspiring man. There is no one I've ever looked up to more."

Karmen wants to ask the same old questions they always had. Do you think he's still him? Will we ever see him again? Not wanting the cloud of gloom to return she continues describing the scenery. "A few feet from the top of the cliff, small shrubs, grasses, and herbs grow in a myriad of colors ranging from olive to juniper to copper to evergreen. There are small white flowers that cascade over the cliff's edge in bell shapes. Their leaves are long and slender, like the spines of a lionfish. The apple tree is the largest plant on this area of the cliff. It's finally growing actual bark," she takes his wrists and gently presses his fingers against the slender trunk, "and I can already imagine where the buds will begin next spring," she moves his hand up to where the leaves bud out.

"Will it bear apples before it's time to meet your crew?" he asks as she releases him.

"No," she says sadly. "They bear fruit in their third year. In fact, for it to grow properly, I have to clip the buds off so that it doesn't flower next year." She turns towards the small collection of trees on the island. "Our little forest or woods, whatever you'd prefer to call it," she goes on, "block all but faint ribbons of sunlight and casts everything else into a musty shadow. The trees are tall and strong with roots that almost reach the caverns below. I can smell humid decay and new life that gives me a sense of growth and comfort. The birds here are brown and blend well with the bark and ground. There are brown snakes, green lizards, and small black scorpions. I can sense foxes, boar, and a few deer." She looks over at him. "What are you getting?"

"I can smell your perfume and those bell-shaped flowers beyond it. They smell of acidic pollen and honeydew. The salt from the ocean covers everything, but I can clearly smell the forest and our food. I can hear the whisper of wind far above us and individual leaves falling from the trees. One of the deer just stepped on a fallen branch and it snapped with a crisp sound. There are wood beetles chewing their way through branches and worms writhing in the soil. The bird calls are piercingly beautiful and the high pitched notes carry across the island. It's peaceful." He takes a bite of cheese. "What about me?" he asks. "What do I look like to you?"

She smiles and leans back on her elbows, eying him up and down appraisingly. "My idiot bodyguard, my loyal best friend, my partner in crime," she says. She reaches over and rubs her thumb over his cheekbone. "I see that you're mildly dehydrated, you haven't been getting enough sleep, but that you're trying really hard. I want you to take care of yourself, but I appreciate all the effort you're putting into your job and helping me with my goals." She nibbles on a parsnip. "Your turn."

"I can smell that you're always anxious, despite the amount of training or how relaxed you make yourself appear. I hear you pacing the tunnels at night and the long hours you spend perfecting your toxins. I can taste your ambition and your uncertainty in the air, but I can feel your passion and your heart." He turns his head toward her. "I'm glad I'm your bodyguard."

"Are we getting weirdly sappy?"

"I believe so, Mistress, yes."

"This island does weird things to people."

"It's kind of nice."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."


	83. Chapter 83: Dentistry

When the picnic is over, Karmen settles in the dining hall with a book. Pierce sits on the floor, waiting expectantly. Several of the children join him. Aniyah climbs into his lap. He hesitates but ends up wrapping an arm around her middle. Some adults settle into the chairs, looking for something other than therapy techniques to occupy their time.

Karmen smiles down at the children and then over at Pierce. "I'm afraid my library isn't very child-friendly yet. But I promised Pierce I'd read to him, so today we're going to learn about snakes."

Pierce perks up, more excited than most of the children. "Vipers?" he asks hopefully.

Karmen flips through the pages until she reaches a marked chapter. "Whatever you'd like, dear." She clears her throat and takes a quick drink of water before beginning. "The adder is classified under the family of Viperidae with a general toxicity level of six. Not much is known about the species of adder that make their home in the Grand Line, though most reports claim that the deadlier adders are found in the New World. In the first half of the Grand Line, no adder over six feet has been reported." Here Karmen gives a snort. "I can tell you that's inaccurate. I really do need to update my library. This author has never set foot in the Grand Line in his life!" She marks her place and leans forward. "In Alabasta there are vipers the size of this room. They live in desert caves and like to bask in the sun. They have gleaming brown scales with green spots that look like cacti. The one I came across was beautiful! She had fangs as long as my arm and venom so acidic it could melt rocks."

Tension sets in Pierce's jaw. "You never told me about that," he says in an accusing tone.

She shrugs. "You never would have let me go into the desert if I had."

"You snuck out of the palace in the first place!"

"And how would your training have come out had I not?" She flips the book back open. "Anyway, let's see what else this man is wrong about." She reads and corrects the book for thirty more minutes.

When she pauses to take a breath and turn a page, Pierce cocks his ear towards the ocean-side wall. "Isn't that…?" Everyone else in the room looks at him in confusion. They can't hear a thing.

Karmen knows to trust his sensitive hearing and had already registered the anomaly with her haki. "Yes, it is." She drops her book and leaps over the children's heads and begins running. After a minute she can hear what they'd both sensed. The rays are breaching frantically outside, warning them of something approaching. Karmen can sense that too. It's fast and large and alive. She races around to the beach to see a lancet fish sea king racing towards the shore. Pierce is right behind her. He grabs his tonfa blades and makes to leap into the air and dispatch it, but Karmen puts a hand to his chest and he stops. He keeps his tonfa blades at the ready, just in case, but he takes his cue from his mistress. Karmen, however, is taking her cues from the rays. Yes, they're breaching and alerting her of the beast's approach, but they are not attempting to impede it. In fact, they're clearing a path for it. Even Kudra, who had surfaced in the shallows, simply watches with her tail swishing through the water, ready to attack if the need arises.

Karmen lowers her hand and walks slowly into the surf up to her ankles. She'd been living in the Calm Belt for so long that she'd grown unused to waves washing up against the shores, but with so much activity in the water, there is not a smooth patch to be found. And yet, the more disturbed the water becomes as the sea king approaches, the calmer she feels.

"Mistress?" Pierce asks. He can sense the change over her but he can't sense the cause. She's not sure how to explain it herself. She feels a strange sense of awe as the fish looms nearer. Because of this she barely notices that the patients had begun filing out onto the beach, and just as quickly push to get close to the cliffs where they'll have a safer observation point.

"Parvati." Karmen's voice is quiet but it carries over the water and the rays still. Her bond is instantly at her feet. A tail meets a hand and then Karmen is stepping onto her back, giving a gentle press of her toes to urge her forward. Parvati moves without question towards the charging sea king. Karmen ignores it and places her hand between Parvati's eyes. "Show me." A stream of information pours into her brain. It isn't words, it isn't an image. Her haki returns to her in a jumble of colors that she can't distinguish or decipher, but there is an emotion there. This creature will not attack. She's as certain in this as she is in her bond.

"Karmen?" Winston's uncertain call comes across the water. She ignores him. She's concentrating too hard to give him her attention.

"Hold," Pierce answers for her.

The sea king slows and lowers its head to her, giving a screech that deafens her ears and shakes her bones. She rises slowly, removing her hand from Parvati and carrying it straight up to the sea king's snout. Its scales are rough beneath her hand, like shark skin. It makes another sound, softer this time, like a cry. Its large black eye watches her, waiting. It came here for help. "Show me," she says again. It opens its massive jaws wide. Parvati could comfortably swim inside its mouth if they went in that direction, like a fish in the beak of a pelican. She looks it in the eye one last time. "I'm going in now. Try not to bite or swallow me, if it can be helped."

"Is she suicidal?" The Iona's voice cuts over the water.

"Perhaps you should watch with your mouth closed lest you draw the sea king's attention to yourself," Pierce says, trying to keep a growl out of his voice. "If she's going to climb into that thing's mouth, then she knows something you don't." She knows that Pierce is just hoping this to be the case, but he can't seem to sit quietly while Karmen is questioned. She smiles a little with her back still turned.

The fish's teeth curve back slightly, meant for tearing and deep punctures. They're three times as long ask Karmen. It keeps its mouth open, making no sign that she's about to be eaten alive and solidifying the trust she has in the knowledge she'd been given. She still isn't sure how she knows it. It simply is. For now, she's satisfied with that.

Even still, as Karmen climbs through the teeth, all she knows is that this creature is in pain. The teeth rise up on either side like deadly walls. It would be very hard to escape if they snapped closed around her. She synchronizes with the creature, feeling every muscle it tenses as she progresses, just in case. His muscles seem to be twinging further in and she follows the motion. As she nears the throat, she sees the problem. On her right where there should be pale gums, there is an inflamed area of flesh circling a tooth. There are bulbs of puss pushing through the skin, threatening to burst from the pressure. Angry red veins run from the spot spreading outwards. An infection like this could spread to the blood and then the brain and eventually lead to death. "I see it," she assures the sea king. It gives an imploring moan. "I know." She turns and climbs over a healthy set of teeth to poke her head out of the side of the fish's mouth. "Pierce!" She removes a key from her belt and throws it to him like one of her feather darts. He catches it without flinching. "My gloves and bag, please."

Fabric rips and for once Winston doesn't react. Pierce turns and flies into the tunnels over the heads of the traffic-jammed patients. He returns in only a few minutes later with the items. "What's that smell?" he asks. "Besides the heavy overtones of fish."

"An infected tooth," she says. "It's pretty bad."

"Do you require my assistance?"

She gives him a half-smile. "I'm perfectly safe, Pierce," she promises.

He gives a begrudging sigh. "I know. That's the problem. You're completely in your element and it's making my protective instincts go haywire. Just be sure to use some viper venom on it if it does try anything."

She gives a small chuckle. "What is your obsession with viper venom?"

He crosses his arms and turns his face upwards. "If it's going to attempt harm to my charge then I want to be able to smell the blood dripping from its eyes," he growls.

She pinches her lips together as she tries not to laugh. "Then maybe you shouldn't threaten its nose."

His head drops a minuscule amount with embarrassment. "Well, it'll bleed from there too." He shuffles his wings. "I'm going to wait on the beach. Call for me if you need anything."

She gives one more amused chuckle as he makes his departure and lays out her supplies on the fish's wide lip. She has several large syringes, fifteen different poisons, her dagger, her quills, her antidotes, antibacterial ointment, a large bottle of Pierce's eye medicine, a stitching kit, and a bottle of medical grade alcohol. Her hand freezes over a bottle containing a black toxin. She picks it up. She could have sworn she shelved it days ago. Just holding it in her hand makes her feel far more danger than standing in the mouth of a predatory sea king ever could.

She looks down at the Plucharon. It seems to swirl with menace and taunt her behind the reflected sun on the glass. Why did she still carry this toxin with her when she'd decided to never use it again? No, not that she wouldn't use it again, but not in a deadly concentration, not with the intention to kill. She looks up at the sea king's large eye as it cries out again. "I'm not sure if this will help or make it worse, but I promise you that I will do what I can."

Karmen puts the Plucharon aside for now and leans out again, holding up another bottle. "I'm going to inject your gum with this. It's a shellfish and algae toxin, but I promise that you will be perfectly safe. It should numb the area and you will be feeling better very soon." It gives a soft call that she takes for consent.

"She doesn't expect that thing to actually understand her, does she?" Iona asks.

"Many fish are more intelligent than you seem to believe," Bhoden states. This is met with a glower, but with little effect.

Karmen uncorks the bottle and fills one of the large syringes. It was the same thing she'd mixed with the deadbolt that she used in the training session with Pierce the day before. The thought behind it was that if an enemy never knew they'd been scratched by her quill, their rescue missions would have that much more of a ghostly illusion.

She begins injecting the gum around the root of the tooth and is rewarded with another call that almost sounds like a sigh. She pokes her head out again. "I'm going to work on clearing the infection and getting this tooth out. Please remember that I'm still in here." She moves back to the infection site and pulls on her gloves as she comes up with a game plan.

She starts by sterilizing her dagger with the alcohol and slicing carefully into the pustules. Pus shoots out around the blade and she has to duck to the side to avoid being struck in the face. Once the pressure stabilizes and her cut widens, the wound oozes puss at a steady dribble. Karmen is buffeted by an acrid smell that burns her nostrils almost immediately. Back on shore, she can sense Pierce gagging, taken aback by the smell. Maybe his heightened senses even take him back to those last few months in the basement when the infection threatened his life more than his injuries. She hopes not, but she also knows the reality of his horrors and how they're always hovering just below the surface of his mind.

She digs her gloved hands in between the folds of thin skin and begins shoveling the puss into the ocean. The rays slither away, careful not to swim through it as it decides whether it wants to sink to the bottom or float on the surface. Still, some of the new brood of rays swim forward and nibble at it, hoping for food, only to spit it out and swim away in disgust. Karmen rolls her eyes good-humoredly and continues to clean, moving on to the next pustule and giving it the same treatment. Each one is so deep that she can see the tooth at the bottom on each side. The bone is cracked and riddled with holes where the infection had eaten into it and fed into the gum. She examines it closely. From what she can tell the sea king had bitten off something harder than it could chew and had cracked the tooth. Unable to tend to it, the tooth has festered and now it threatens to spread. Sickness on the ocean usually meant death for a fish.

As she works, she keeps her haki and mind solely focused on the task at hand. The frustration she had before seems to disappear entirely. All she wants to do here and now is clear the infection from this creature who had sought out her help. When all the pus is cleared she mentally prepares herself for what she knows she has to do. In order for the sea king to be completely healed and for her to solve its problem completely, she has to remove this tooth. She looks up at it, even in its cracked and infected state, it towers over her. She can't even budge it on her own. She's not even sure if Pierce or Winston could safely pull it free. There's only one plan of action. She picks up a new bottle and begins filling a syringe.

Karmen takes a deep breath and begins injecting and coating the sea king's gum with the antidote. "This may hurt," she says, patting the numbed gum apologetically. "I would appreciate if you don't bite down if it does. I would understand a little thrashing so long as I don't get sent flying to the back of your throat." It makes a sound a little different from the ones before. Laughter?

Karmen fills a large glass syringe with as much Plucharon as she dares. She fits the needle into one of the larger cracks and pushes it in until she feels resistance. With her breath held, she pushes the plunger. She can hear the inside of the tooth bubble as it dissolves and, when she pulls the syringe back, the needle is gone, eaten away by the poison. She smothers what's left of the metal in antidote and shoves it into her bag before refilling the first with more antidote. This she poises over the expanding crack, haki on overdrive as she watches the corrosion progress. The sea king yowls and twitches in uncontrolled spasms that buck Karmen wildly as what's left of the living tooth dies. Not yet… She keeps her feet planted where they are and rolls with the wild motion. It roars with pain at a decibel that threatens to rupture her eardrums, but she stands fast. Not yet… Despite the creature's obvious discomfort, it keeps its mouth open wide and remains as still as it can manage, a gesture that is much appreciated. She senses the last root separate from the crown. Now! She jams the needle into the crack, synchronizing with the sea king so she doesn't snap it off inside the tooth, and feels a lot more room than she had before. The antidote pours in and slowly the sea king settles. The rays swim in agitated circles, but none try to interfere.

"Kudra!" she calls. "Can I borrow your tail?" The sea king stingray moves forward, buffeting them with waves. She turns and wraps the end of her tail several times around the tooth. "Pierce, come down here and ram this when Kudra pulls."

"Yes, Mistress." He flies into the sea king's open mouth and hovers on the other side of the tongue, ready to build momentum.

"Three, two," Pierce begins his dive, coating his wings in haki to add weight and protection, "one!" Pierce raises his wings above his head and slams his whole body into the tooth right as Kudra begins to pull. There's an audible snap and the tooth flies from the sea king's mouth. It slips from Kudra's grasp and soars through the air, striking the sand several meters down the beach and burying itself partially on impact.

Pierce ricochets backward towards the sea king's throat and Karmen reaches forward to grasp his wing. He transforms it back into an arm and they catch each other's wrists. "Thanks," he says, completing his transformation back and standing on the tongue. "The smell is already better. How does it look?"

One glance at the new vacancy shows that there is still work to be done. "I'll have to pry out the remaining roots," she says. "I was able to stop the Plucharon before it dug into the gums, so the only damage is from the infection. Once we close it up it should be ok."

He tenses to fly. "I'll get out of your way then."

She puts a hand on his shoulder before he can leap. "What happened to all that eagerness to help me earlier?" she asks.

His head cocks to the side. "What did you have in mind?"

A few seconds later Pierce is straddling the hole with his hands dug deep into the sea king's flesh. "You weren't kidding when you said they were really embedded," he says as he struggles to pull the root free.

"Which is why I'm having you do the heavy lifting," she says as she pulls the skin back to give him extra space to work. "You were saying we needed something other than boulders."

He gives a strained chuckle. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind." He gives one more wrench, and the root lets go all at once. He falls back toward the water with the sudden release and Karmen lurches forward and catches his belt loop. He tosses the root into the ocean before he rights himself and sighs. "One down, two to go."

"Just one, actually," she responds. "The other one was gone already."

Pierce grimaces and pats a healthy tooth. "Poor thing." His face contorts slightly. "I never thought I'd say that about a sea king. I blame you." Karmen chuckles as he leans back over the cavity and grasps the last root. This one is partially eaten and comes out much easier than the first had. He doesn't even fall this time. "Can I do anything else for you, Karmen?"

"Not at the moment, but I'm sure I can think of something if you stick around."

She moves back into the cavity, digging her arms deep into the sea king's gums to clean the remaining gum and bone. When she's satisfied she spreads antibacterial ointment where she can. The smell is all but gone. Now the gaping hole in its gum smells like fish and herbs. She probably does too, but she can live with that.

She draws a curved needle from her bag and a spool of surgical floss. "You keep that on you?" Pierce asks.

"I've been in many situations where I could have used them," she responds as she threads it. "It was very useful when I rescued you." She sets the point to the sea king's gum and pushes hard. It takes a good deal of effort to puncture the skin and her hand is already cramping by the end of the first hole. She sighs. This will go nowhere fast. "Could you bring Winston over, please." She removes her gloves and washes them off in the ocean while she waits.

"Stitches were requested?" Winston asks when he arrives, straightening his clothes which had been rumpled in the flight.

"Please. You're so much better at this than I am."

Winston works much faster and with more ease than Karmen could have managed, but he's still sweating by the end of the endeavor. He wipes his silk handkerchief across his forehead. "Untreated sea king skin is tough." His eyes scan their combined efforts. "This will heal nicely. You did well."

Karmen stretches and examines the contents of her bag as she repacks. She'll need to restock before the next mission. "I'm just happy that I could help. He was in a bad spot." Her eyes fall on Pierce's bare chest, following the crisscrossing scars and tracing the jagged edges. A strong need to expand her repertoire fills her stomach. "Pierce, you and I set out tomorrow alone."

He hesitates at the suddenness of her words, but nods. "I'll make the preparations."

Kudra's tail slides back through the water and Karmen steps onto it while Pierce escorts Winston back to shore. She's raised to the sea king's eye and she gives it a satisfied smile. "You should be good to go," she tells it. "It will hurt once my toxins wear off, but you'll recover in a few days." It closes its eyes and leans against her gently, crooning softly in appreciation. She laughs and gives it a hug. "You're welcome. Come find me if you run into any more trouble." With one more call of triumph, the sea king turns and dives into the ocean. Karmen remains standing on Kudra's tail until she can no longer see its dark form and the waters are once again calm. She may have remained there for hours had Kudra not lowered her tail down to the beach so that Karmen could step off. The ray's tail runs along her cheek as she pulls away, a gesture that Karmen takes as approval.

"Wow." Camilla breaks the silence, looking just as awed as Karmen feels. The single word draws several eyes her way, shocking nearly as many people as the sea king had. "How did you do it?"

Karmen thinks of Chopper and a few other members of the crew. "Just because something appears frightening to someone, or has the strength to cause massive destruction, doesn't mean it's a monster," she says. Her eyes scan over the crowd, not really caring that they're all staring at her. She feels like she should say something more. "Personally I don't care for looks, I only care about a thing's intent." Her eyes fall on Iona but just as quickly return to Camilla. "If a being has become harsh to defend itself or survive, it is not inherently bad. It simply needs to be reminded that some beings are there to help." With that, she steps into the tunnel, crowd parting silently to let her pass.

* * *

The rest of the day passes with little incident. Karmen's frustration never returns and she finds herself able to relax and focus on other things that need doing. She often looks up from her work or assessments to find the patients staring at her with a look of wonder on their faces. Everyone quickly looks away. She even catches Iona doing it. At least Bhoden gives her a warm smile before going back to his pottery therapy. He'd gotten distracted and has to squish his warped bowl back into a round lump and start over. Still, despite the increase in eyes on her, she feels a strange sense of relief and balance. The sense of peace follows her until the sun goes down and she's able to sleep peacefully, at least for a while.

The racing of a small figure several levels above her head wakes Karmen in the middle of the night. From the distance and their general location, she assumes the person is going back and forth between the pantry and the women's bathroom. Finding this odd in the early hours of the morning, she slides into her robe. Tuna curls into a tighter ball, but otherwise continues to slumber as she leaves her bedroom. She slips quietly up the tunnels. As she does, the small figure stops their transits and begins making small, repeated motions with their feet. Once on the first level, Karmen can hear something squishing with each footfall. Small whimpers echo through the cave and the voice is one that Karmen recognizes.

"Aniyah?" Karmen pulls her robe a little tighter around herself as she steps into the women's bathroom. The squishing sound is louder here. It picks up at her voice. She turns the corner and sees the glow of a lantern.

Aniyah is in the small circle of light, standing in a tub full of fruit, stepping up and down feverishly. Her feet are bare and her pants are rolled up to mid-thigh. Despite an expression of terror in her eyes, there is a huge smile on her face. She looks up sharply as Karmen enters. "I couldn't find any grapes," she says. "But I'm working. I promise I'm working hard."

Karmen's chest constricts at the sight of her and she moves into the room slowly. "Oh, dearie, you've had a bad night, haven't you?" She kneels by the tub and gently touches the girl's arm.

The pleading look in Aniyah's eyes only gets worse. "Ms. Karmen," she says, voice shaking slightly, "I can't stop."

Karmen looks down at her own bare feet. They're covered in cave dust and the soles are blackened from the walking. She seats herself in another tub, this one already filled with water from Aniyah's preparations, and washes her feet thoroughly. She rolls her pant legs, soft cloth sliding easily up her skin. "Then I'm going to help you," she says, carefully stepping from her tub to Aniyah's. She even throws in a little tap and river dancing. They stomp fruit for what feels like hours, working hard to squeeze the juice from the pulp.

When the solution is ready, Karmen searches for something to put it in. She remembers the empty barrels they'd brought from the winery and fetches one from the intake room. Unable to find anything more suitable, they use Karmen's robe to strain it. They tip the tub slowly over the barrel and let the juice drain through the fabric until it's all in. They wash the robe in the other tub and leave it hanging on a shower stall to dry. Karmen seals the barrel of juice and rolls it down to the pantry before returning to wash both their feet again. She picks Anayah up on her back and begins walking back to the bed chambers. "You didn't have to do that," the girl says softly, laying her head on Karmen's shoulder, grin finally fading from her face.

"I know."

"Then why did you?"

Karmen leans her head against the girl's hijab. "Because I couldn't stand the sight of you looking so scared when you were all by yourself."

She squeezes tighter. "Do you have to go away again soon?" Her voice shakes slightly, making Karmen's chest feel tight.

"I'm afraid so," she says, answering honestly. "There are things I have to do so that you and the others can safely go back to your families and there are other little girls out there just like you that I want to rescue."

Her arms loosen and Karmen gets the sense that she's shrinking in on herself and pulling away out of fear of abandonment. "If you bring other little girls to the island, will you still have time for me?"

Karmen reaches her arm back and pulls Aniyah around to her front. She looks the girl in the eye and gives her most sincere expression. "I will _always_ make time for you." She stops in front of the communication's room. "In fact, when I leave, I'll give you a special snail so you can call me anytime you want. I can't promise I'll always be able to answer, I may be underwater, but I'll answer when I can."

The girl's eyes light up. "Really?"

"We can even use code names," Karmen continues. "You can call me Ghost like my partners do, and I'll call you… hmmm… Goldilocks."

She giggles. "I don't even like porridge."

"But you know how to smash fruit pretty well and you've survived encounters with dangerous creatures. I think Goldilocks is a fitting call sign."

"And I've got a bed that's juuusssttt right," she says happily.

Karmen gives a giggle of her own. "Come on. We'd better get you back into it before Saaresto gets mad at me for having you up so late."

She quietly tiptoes through the raised pallets of the women's chamber until she reaches the empty one where Aniyah had crept from. The girl lays down without a complaint and Karmen gives a faint smile as she begins to nod off instantly.

* * *

In the morning, at breakfast, Karmen serves mixed berry juice and briefly ignores Winston's questions of where half the fruit had gone. "Where _did_ this come from?" Iona asks, peering into her glass.

"Aniyah and I stayed up late last night making it," Karmen says casually.

The cup stops short of the woman's lips. "You let her make this?"

Karmen shrugs. "She seemed compelled to do it and so I helped her and got her back to bed. I understand her anxiety isn't easy to deal with. That's why she's here. That's why you're all here."

Iona's eyes shift to the side as she takes a sip. "So if others were… compelled in the same way… would we be allowed to make something like this?" She sets the cup down. "At least… until we feel comfortable stopping for good?"

Karmen sets her pitcher down. "I'll provide whatever you feel you need on one condition." She leans across the table for emphasis. "There will, under no circumstances, ever be a single grape on this island."

Iona gives a strangled laugh. "I think I could live with that," she says in a tight voice.

"I'll tell you what," Karmen continues. "When Pierce and I come back, we'll bring barrels and barrels of apples. I wouldn't turn down a nice mug of cider."

The woman nods appreciatively. "Thank you, Karmen."

Karmen eats her meal next to Aniyah. Halfway through, she slides a small pink snail over to the girl and teaches her how to use it. The child even practices calling Karmen, just to make sure it works.

Karmen and Pierce slip away before the meal is concluded, deciding it's for the best if they don't leave with a big fanfare. After all, they'd be back within a fortnight.


	84. Chapter 84: A Game of Hearts

"Kudra, Law. Seriously, what's your aversion to bread?" Karmen helps herself to a bowl of rice and fixes another in one of Bepo's oversized dishes.

The man's shoulders stiffen but he gives no other sign that she'd surprised him. He looks at her over his shoulder with steely eyes. "Secretary-ya," he says in form of greeting. "How did you got on my sub?"

"Torpedo chute," she says matter-of-factly.

He looks at the towel around her neck and the food in her hands. "You're making yourself at home, I see."

"Oh, please," she drawls, waving her hand to draw his attention to three dripping baskets of vegetables in the corner. "I brought a trade."

He sighs, but she takes it as a general sign of acceptance. His eyes scan the room. "I take it you didn't come here alone?"

"He's here. I sent him to find Bepo for me." Law's scowl deepens. "Listen, about Pierce-"

"Captain! Pierce is on the sub! I think Karmen-" Bepo enters the kitchen and stops when he sees his captain glowering at Karmen as she finishes lumping rice into the larger bowl. "Oh." His surprise is replaced with a wide, toothy grin. "Welcome back."

Law turns his glare to his navigator. "Don't be so quick to welcome uninvited guests."

A low chuckle sounds behind Bepo. "I'm pleased to know you still consider us guests, invited or otherwise." Pierce steps into view and bows deeply. "It is good to hear your voice again, Sir Law." Karmen hands him the large bowl as he rises.

"So, you're still alive." Despite obviously still being irritated about their sudden appearance, he can't hide how his eyes soften the smallest amount as he sees his former patient. He looks back at Karmen and finds her grinning at him. His glower returns, but it's obviously just for show. He closes his eyes and leans his large sword against his shoulder. "While you're here I may as well give you a follow-up exam."

Pierce and Karmen set there bowls down at the table. Pierce sits while Karmen runs to the polar bear and leaps at him. "I missed you, B!" They throw their arms around each other and hug as they continue their greetings. He bends his head down so she can rub his ears while they laugh and mutter conspiratorially about catching up later.

Law sighs and joins Pierce at the table and Karmen eventually returns to her food. He allows them to take a few bites of rice before prompting her to speak again. "Why are you here?"

"Where did you sell that gold seal I traded you?"

His eyebrows shoot up. "Don't tell me you need it back."

She shakes her head. "Not at all, dearie. I just have more contraband to get rid of."

"What kind of contraband?"

"Celestial Dragon heirlooms." The flippancy of her voice suggests that it's quartz replicas that she's planning to sell. She reaches into the front of her diving suit and pulls out a long chain of jewels, unmistakably real.

Law exhales and a tension runs through his body, so subtle that you'd have to have observation haki to even notice it. "You like living dangerously, Secretary-ya. I'd appreciate you getting that off my submarine before anyone comes looking for it."

"Gladly," she says, tucking the necklace away. "As soon as you share." His eyes narrow, but he relaxes some. "You're a man of science, meaning you did your research and found someone with no connections to Doflamingo or the Gallowcombs. Someone who wouldn't turn around and shoot you in the back for passing contraband of this caliber across the table."

He smiles for the first time as he leans across the table, placing the fingertips of one hand on the surface. "Our partnership only goes so far. A name like that is valuable."

"How about twenty names in exchange for a reliable fence?" Karmen reaches into her suit again and slaps a thick folder wrapped in plastic near his hand. He moves to reach for it and she pulls it back. "You're still looking for hearts of influential pirates to trade for the immunity of a Warlord's status, aren't you?"

"Room." The folder is suddenly under Law's hand, leaving the plastic under hers. Karmen merely eats her rice while he flips through it. He looks at her over the top. "This is intricate."

She swallows a mouthful. "I have sources, but I don't have a fence."

"Chambers." A pen and pencil appear next to his hand. She never sees what he's switching them for, but she gets the feeling he's pulling some tricks with paper clips and other small objects that he can stuff up his sleeve and toss quickly. He picks up the pen and scribbles three names with corresponding islands before sliding the paper across to her.

Karmen glances at it. "You have a doctor's handwriting." He moves to pull it back, but she places her hand over it. "I'm a secretary. I can read it just fine, dearie." She slips it into her diving suit after the necklace, making him wonder what else she has stashed down there.

He lets them eat for a few moments before transitioning into the next topic. "You were saying something about Pierce earlier?"

The bodyguard in question stops eating and turns his ear towards them. "He needs his medication adjusted to accommodate his new… _accessory_." She tries hard not to growl this last word, but her emotions towards it is still evident.

The doctor's gaze slides over Pierce's visor and he frowns. "Have there been any other complications?" The way he asks, Karmen knows he means whether or not Pierce had been showing any signs of PTSD or had any unusual changes in the mood or behavior.

"Not yet," Karmen says in a way that he interprets as: if they arise, she'll handle it in her own way.

Pierce interprets it as: if he chooses to hide anything else from her, she'll cause a few complications of her own.

It takes a while for them to finish eating. Both Karmen and Pierce get seconds. By the time they finish, the crew has started trickling in and are still greeting them when Law bustles them off to the examination room.

The surgeon draws his sword. Pierce doesn't flinch away from the blade. He'd grown used to Law's unique form of inspection while he'd recovered from the injuries inflicted by Ikaika. One "Room" later and Law is holding Pierce's spleen in his hand. Karmen leans down and pokes the square gouge. The bodyguard shifts to the side. "That tickles."

"The scar tissue is extensive, but not obstructive," Law says, ignoring their antics completely. He puts the spleen back and cuts out Pierce's other organs one by one to inspect them. As he works, Karmen notes the physical changes the artificial devil fruit had made to his body. His spleen is two times larger than an average human's. His lungs seem larger too, thin and papery, yet strong and unlabored. His stomach almost seems reinforced, and she feels it would have to be to receive all the food he has to eat just to function normally. His other organs all look healthy. Law removes his heart last, inspecting it closely. When he's satisfied, he smirks up at Karmen. "How quickly do you think I'd get promoted to Warlord status if I traded them _this_ heart?"

Karmen snatches it from his hand so quickly that Pierce flinches, but her fingers remain light and gentle as she cradles the heart to her chest and turns away from Law. "Don't make me stab you."

He chuckles as she aligns the heart and shoves it back into Pierce's chest. "I wouldn't dream of it," he says, but the tilt of his gaze and the set of his smile suggests that he at least considers it. He laughs through his nose, trying to pass it off as a joke. "Alright, it's time for you to step out."

She crosses her arms. "I'm not going anywhere."

He shrugs. "If you want to see him with his pants off, that's up to you," he says. "You'll be deciding a few bets my men were making."

Pierce's cheeks flush. "Mistress, I believe Bepo was wanting to speak with you."

Law grins. "Off you go," he says. "Go play with the bear." Karmen discretely removes a dart from one of her quills and wraps it in her veil before handing it to Pierce, just in case. When the door closes behind her, Karmen gives an indignant huff at being shooed out like a child, but the idea of spending time with Bepo isn't at all objectionable. She moves down the hall, sensing out the bear with her haki.

She finds Bepo in the navigation room, concentrating hard on drawing a chart. She watches him with a smile. Sweat drips from the ends of his fur on his temple and his tongue hangs over his thin black lips as he does his best to make the lines come out straight. Despite his immense efforts, the quill slides a little in his paw and the lines come out wobbly. When he finishes, he holds up his work, accidentally smearing the side with ink.

"You're as dedicated as Nami," Karmen says, feeling it safe to draw his attention away.

He looks up and grins. "You like it?" he asks hopefully, holding it up for her to see.

She touches the dry area just under the smudgy paw print. "I love it." She takes it from him and hangs it up to dry. "Is this an island you just left?"

"It's where we're going," he says proudly. "I had to read three books to find a detailed description so I could chart it."

An idea sparks in her mind. She sits next to him and leans on the table with her elbow only inches away from a blotch of ink. I'm going to be in need of sea charts very soon," she begins. "If I were to send you descriptions and locations, would you be able to draw those up for me?"

He perks up. "You want my help?"

She smiles. "I can write descriptions galore and my rays can get me wherever I need to go, but I need a navigator who can recognize landmarks and doesn't mind the occasional challenge."

His eyes sparkle, but he holds onto enough self-awareness to ask, "What kind of challenge?"

"There are children on my island who were too young to remember much about where they came from. I'm working with vague details and I don't have your gift. You have a talent and I'd love to see what you can do."

Bepo is practically glowing, but the sound of a throat clearing in the doorway cuts off his response. Law. "Pierce is finished with his exam," he begins, eyes sliding between the two. "I don't appreciate you trying to recruit my crew behind my back."

The navigator bear turns abruptly to look at Law. "If it's alright with you, Captain, I'd like to help."

The man is silent for a few seconds as he considers it. Finally, his gaze fixes back on Karmen. Law grins and gets a mischievous look in his eye. "Want to play a game, Secretary-ya?" he asks.

She gives him a spectacle look. "What kind of game?" The look he's giving her says she probably shouldn't trust him, despite this being in the name of good-humored fun.

"I want to test your haki," he responds. "I'll cut out the hearts of every member of my crew, and yours, and you have to tell me whose heart belongs to whom."

Her eyes narrow. This has to be some ploy to get Pierce's heart or hers, but she can't sense the deception. "And what are the stakes?"

"If you can't do it, I hold onto your heart and Pierce's. If I lose, I'll let Bepo help you and you can wear my hat until you leave."

There it is. He has to be tipping the table somehow, or he isn't really after their hearts at all. "I'll bite," she says, to satisfy her curiosity. "But until he gets his back, Pierce will hold onto yours."

His grin widens with her distrust. "Then it's a deal." He holds out his hand and she slaps it to seal their agreement. No matter what he's scheming, she has faith in her own abilities and she needs Bepo's help. Law could be crooked, but he wasn't slimy, not in the way the people they grew up around were. He lived by his own code. The trick was finding out what that code is and using it to your advantage. He moves past her and picks up a com. "Park the sub and meet in the torpedo room." His voice echoes throughout the ship's speakers and, with the grinding of heavy metal, Karmen feels the submarine stop.

When they enter the designated area, she finds Pierce next to Bepo, looking confused and relieved that her safety isn't the reason why they'd stopped. His demeanor changes when he hears the conditions of the game. "Absolutely not," he growls, placing himself between her and Law. "Take my heart for ransom if you need to, but I refuse to let you lay even the back of your blade on Karmen."

Law looks fully amused. "She's already agreed, bodyguard-ya."

"How about we up the stakes a little," Karmen suggests, causing Pierce to bite back his next retort with a single gnash of his teeth. He turns his ear towards her expectantly as she ducks beneath his outstretched arm. "I find my heart first, you have to provide dinner."

Pierce's anger subsides and he relaxes, his stomach winning out. It seems to take Law a massive amount of effort to keep from laughing. "You expect that I wouldn't have already? I know you're technically a stowaway, but I'm not that ungracious of a host." The crew laughs good-naturedly. "But if you want to risk going hungry tonight, then it's a deal."

Pierce fixes Law with a sinister turn of his head. "No tricks."

The captain's grin only widens. "Where would the fun in that be?"

Karmen steps forward and allows Law to carve out her heart first and places it under the periscope. He removes his own heart and hands it to Pierce before Karmen allows for his to be taken. He then cuts out the hearts of every member of his crew and piles them on top of theirs. He spreads his hand to create a Room and whispers, "Shambles" along with something else. Karmen closes her eyes, but she can still sense the hearts swapping places with one another in a confusing torrent of motion. When it stops she opens her eyes. "Alright, Secretary-ya, where's your heart?"

She points to the somewhat smaller pile of hearts in front of her. "Not in there." She stands and leaves the room. Everyone follows her. She makes her way to the medical ward and gives a surprised laugh. "You put my heart under the vent hood?"

He gives her a playful shrug. "What can I say? You have a tendency to be toxic." She laughs again while she pushes it back into her chest. "It looks like dinner is on us."

Pierce shuffles the heart in his hands to the side so he can clap Karmen on the back while the crew gives a cheer. Karmen takes the heart from him and exchanges it for the one under Law's hat. He'd somehow managed to switch it earlier and she'd simply been biding her time to call him out on it, since she'd added her own conditions. She didn't want raw fish for dinner tonight. "Nice try." She hands the heart back to its rightful owner. This gets a roar of approval from the crew and Karmen can't help but smile as she tosses the hat back onto Law's head. "Just a few more and that's mine for the evening."

"We'll see."

They move back into the torpedo room and Karmen picks up the two largest hearts and compares them. Bepo looks hopeful while Jean Bart looks mildly curious. "Bepo, when this is all over, I can't wait to show the children your work. They'll be so impressed." The heart in her left hand flutters. She hands it to the bear and the other to the giant.

Law nods. "Correct again."

"Penguin, dear, could you lie for me please?" she asks.

"The sky is red!" he calls cheerfully.

"That one," she points to one at the bottom of the pile.

"Shachi?"

"I wish our sub was purple!" Shachi declares.

"This one here," Karmen says, pointing to the right.

"This almost seems too easy for you," Law comments.

"Would you rather I did it blindfolded?"

This gets another cheer from the crew. Pierce removes his visor and hands it to her. It's a little oily from his medication, but otherwise clean. She slides it over her face. "Ikkaku, Uni, Clione."

"You're not inspiring for a female pirate at all."

"You don't intimidate me."

"I feel jilted!"

She works through all twenty-one of them systematically until there aren't any more hearts in front of them. Law's heart still beats in Pierce's hands while her bodyguard's chest remains hollow and empty. "Now the question is, _Sir_ Law," she says, remaining calm so she doesn't give him the upper hand. "What have you done with Pierce's heart?"

She returns the visor and her gaze shunts sideways at the surgeon's widening grin. "You tell me."

Her teeth grind slightly, but she closes her eyes and searches the submarine with her haki. His heart is... not on board. Panic fills her gut with waves of nausea, but she shoves them back and expands her search. She senses the rays slowly circling the sub, Kudra, small fish, and… Her eyes shoot open and she runs to the window. There, floating in the black water, is a cube of flesh containing a fluttering heart. She may have dropped a string of blood-curdling curses in Law's general direction as she removes anything water soluble from her diving suit, but she honestly doesn't remember. "Send me out there. Now." Her voice remains quiet, but the growling threat that underlines her tone is unmistakable. The whole crew watches in silent horror, obviously not knowing anything about their captain's plan. They pale at her rage. None of them had ever seen Karmen this angry.

Law, seeming unconcerned, raises his eyebrow. "I have an operating room around us right now, but outside my field it's crushing depth. If you leave it you'll die."

"I said _now_." Uncontrolled haki sparks around her in flashes visible to those with observation haki. They gasp and step back from her, but Law doesn't bat an eyelash.

"As you wish." She takes a breath.

There is a pop as the pressure around her adjusts and Karmen suddenly finds herself surrounded by freezing water. The sudden shift is a small shock to her system, but nothing about it bothers her much. She briefly wonders what Law had switched her with, then decides it doesn't matter. She orients herself to the sub's position and turns around to find the heart. It's there, spiraling downward twenty feet below her. She kicks off, swimming swiftly through the water, graceful as any mermaid. She can sense the end of Law's field more than she can see it. The water down here has no light except for what's being emitted by the sub. Her window of opportunity is shrinking fast.

More organisms approach from all sides. There's Kudra, and there's the rays, but there's something else as well. She chances a glance over her shoulder. She can't see anything in the darkness, but something large is approaching fast. Karmen swims faster, one hand outstretched to catch Pierce's heart. Her fingers brush the corner and it begins to spiral off course. She gives another massive kick and she's able to get her hand under it and tuck it under her wrist. She doesn't stop. She can't. Whatever's behind her is still closing in. 100 meters. 80. 60. 50. Parvati swims forward, ready to help. Karmen can feel herself being drawn backward as the creature behind her opens its mouth. It brushes the halo of light being given off by the submarine's windows and she sees pale scales and teeth and a massive black eye. Parvati opens her mouth and Karmen shoves Pierce's heart forward into it. She releases a burst of haki strong enough to stun her bond mate's electrical sensors, causing her to fall away, out of danger. Parvati's mouth closing around the cube is the last thing she sees before she's drug down into total darkness.


End file.
